Sometimes We Fall
by Mr. Conehead
Summary: War is hell and this short story covers key changes to the Deathly Hallows and the sacrifices that people endured to win it.  This prologue leads into a full length story taking place after Deathly Hallows called the 'Lost Souls Club.'
1. Part 1: Escape

"Neville, run!" A petite figure screams over the din of the battle taking place around them in bowels of Hogwarts. Wandless, Neville reluctantly obeys and hobbles on his bare feet down the dark passageway leaving a trail of blood in his wake along the sharp, stone floor. Wearing a knit black ski mast, generic blue jeans, and a green sweater, the girl fires off curse after curse before shouting to her two similarly dressed companions, "go!"

A few minutes later, one of the rescuers catches-up to Neville and hunches over in exhaustion. Neville, resting against the opposite wall across from her, pants. "Thanks!"

Covered in shadows, the figures pulls off the mask and in a feminine voice whispers back to her bloodied, but not beaten classmate. "Not a problem."

"Yeah," the second rescuer wheezes. His broad shoulders rise and fall under a red and blue West Ham sweater as he tries to catch his breath before laughing. "Now, all we need to do is escape ourselves."

A moment later, their leader comes barreling around the corner with a trail of curses clipping at her heels and barks out, "run!"

Without hesitation, the three students obey using their adrenaline to carry them to the end of the corridor where a pair of ancient, wooden doors guard the stairs leading up into the castle proper and apparent safety. Just as the broad shouldered boy reaches for the door handle, they explode inwards sending shrapnel through the air and smashing the boy into the unforgiving rock wall.

Neville, even with his body bruised and bloodied from two days in the dungeon, recovers first and gently shakes his friend awake. Face pinched in worry, he looks up in time to see in horror the tall, intimidating form of the school's despised Headmaster cut through the cloud of dust and debris. "No!" He cries.

"Longbottom," Snape sneers looking down at the two figures, one kneeling and one prone, at his feet while as four shadows emerge to flank him. Raising his wand, he commands. "Take them!"

Before the four can attack, the petite girl in the green sweater, now cut and covered in pieces of wood, stone, and blood, rises onto one knee, rips off her shredded mask. Red hair framing her young and defiant face, she yells, "incendio!"

Snape and a tall, fair skinned boy wearing the blue and gold robes of Hufflepuff, leap in opposite directions to avoid the attack. Unfortunately, a third figure covered in the green and silver robes of Slytherin, was a moment too slow and the red curse ignites her hair and fur trimmed. She screams out in shock. "Help!"

Startled for a moment, Snape raises a curious eyebrow, and sneers. "Impressive Weasley, most impressive." He points his non-wand hand at the second pair of students on the opposite side of the conflagration and bellows, "get her!" Finally, he flicks his wrist in exasperation and bites out, "aguamenti."

Finally stirring, the boy lying next to Neville looks up groggily and is immediately consumed by rage. With his wand hand broken and sliced open by the explosion, he pulls out his wand with his left hand and screams "Tarantallegra!" He watches in satisfaction as the brunette girl wearing the red and gold robes of his beloved Gryffindor house screams just before she runs at full speed into the solid wall. The stone corridor echoes with a bone breaking snas before the girl falls down in a motionless heap. "Fuck you, Vane, you traitor!" He grimaces in a deep, Irish brogue.

Seeing the second girl in his party fall to the miscreants, the Hufflepuff student takes careful aim at the two boys lying on the ground only a few feet from him. In anger, he returns the favor. "Incendio!"

"Watch out!" Neville cries out as he shoves his rescuer off the ground and rolls them away from the curse to safety behind a stone pedestal.

Before he can move around the impediment for a clear shot, the Hufflepuff suddenly freezes in place before a stringing hex hits him in the groin sending him to the ground groaning in pain. Crawling out from a pile of debris, the second female rescuer of the group, strawberry blonde hair randomly sticking out of her hastily replaced pink ski mask, laughs. "I don't believe that I actually dated Smith!"

"Bombara!" The dark skinned, green and silver robed forth member of Snape's party shouts at the pile of rock and wood next to the triumphant girl. The explosion blinds her just as a piece of rock slices through her mask and cheek drawing blood. She goes down on one knee in pain before an 'Incarcerous' hex hits her unexpectedly from behind binding her arms and legs painfully behind her back. Twisting as she collapses onto the floor, she sees that the wizards they escaped from in the dungeons have caught-up to them. "Ginny, watch out!"

Locked in duel with the Headmaster, Ginny disengages by throwing up a non-verbal shield charm in front of her while she dunks into an alcove just as a horde of hexes and curses sail past her from the opposite direction. "Thanks!" She shouts over the din and then, after seeing the dark skinned boy move to finish her friend off, flicks her wrist again and he falls down unceremoniously under the effect of a non-verbal petrificus totalus curse.

Surrounded and afraid for her friends, Ginny fixes a grim smile on her face and needles the Headmaster. "Headmaster, maybe you should teach Blaise and his pals a few non-verbal spells before taking them out to play!"

Fighting to control his anger, Snape looks down in disgust at the four students in his party. "Amateurs," he contemptuously mumbles before striding in the direction where the young woman who, when his emotionless façade cracks, reminds him of what he has lost. Angrily he bites out, "stupefy," once he has her in his sights.

Ginny anticipates the move and launches herself across the hallway firing off a non-verbal protego charm behind her, which easily blocks the red light. Landing, she takes aim and fires in the opposite direction, "Bombara!"

Enraged at the loss of face in front of the other Death Eaters and the presumed punishment he can expect at the hand of the Dark Lord for allowing this to happen, Amycus Carrow storms around the corner and shouts out in abandon, "crucio!" So focused on his own rage, he fails to see Ginny's counter-attack in time.

As his professor's broken body hurtles over his head, a young, equally enraged man in green in silver robes ducks and screams out at the little girl at the opposite end of the hallway, "avada kadavra!"

Snape hastily abandons his pursuit of Ginny and ducks behind a torch to avoid the green streak of death that blazes between the two fighters. For a moment, everyone is still as each fighter stares in shock and the boy's actions. Snape flicks his want and disarms the boy both figuratively and verbally. "The Dark Lord wants them alive, you fool!"

Taking advantage of the lull and shock, Yaxley stands-up and takes careful aim before whispering, "expelliarmus."

"Shit!" The Irish boy groans as his wand flies out of his grasp and lands several meters away in a pile of refuse. He ducks down and shares a helpless look with Neville. "I'm sorry, Nev, we tried."

Still struggling to free herself from the block ropes, the other girl cries out to Ginny. "We're surrounded, Ginny."

"Everyone, hold you fire!" Snape orders as he walks out into the open, wand raised and faces their tormentor. "Weasley, it's over! Surrender now and we may show some leniency to your friends."

From behind a pile or rock, Ginny rubs her hands over her face in despair, desperately trying to find a way out. She looks over at her team and Neville. All of them are bloody and scared; but, still defiant. She then thinks to herself. _What would Harry do?_ After a moment, a few tears escape her eyes before she resolutely nods to herself and confidently walks out into the open. She laughs, "whatever you say, Headmaster!" Jabbing her wand in the opposite direction, she screams, "reducto!"

Yaxley dives out of the way as an explosion disintegrates the closet door that another silver and green clad student, Gregory Goyle, was standing behind, sending him hurtling backward as wooden knives rip through his flesh. The elder Death Eater then venomously yells back. "Snape, you fool, finish this!"

Snape grunts in annoyance as his first stunning spell misses the red headed girl as she slides across the floor under his aim. Suddenly, a wall of fire appears between the two of them and he is forced to take a step back to avoid being burned.

On the other side of the wall of fire, Ginny points her wand at the floor between her and her friends and with all of her will, screams, "defodio!" Instantly, meters of rock disappear opening up the corridor to the cavern below. What is left of the floor, quickly tilts upwards. "I'm sorry," she whispers as her three friends slide down into the chamber lying several meters below them.

The bound girl and the broad shouldered boy, who only has one working arm, slide helplessly down into the hole. Neville, at the last second, grabs the edge of the nearly vertical floor with his finger tips and pleads wordlessly with his close friend. A moment later, the stress becomes too much for his broken body and his slips into the darkness below crying out, "Ginny!"

Finally, Snape is able to cut through the fire and leaps through the gap only to be surprised by the hole that greats him on the other side. Desperately, he flicks his wand and a rope shoots out the end enabling him to swing across the pit. Puzzled, he looks at the redhead who meets his stare out of the corner of her eye.

Ginny smiles and then aims her wand at the wall across from them as the other Death Easters encircle her position. "Expulso!" She calmly commands and a section of the wall falls over and blocks the hole she previously made in the floor.

Yaxley laughs as he, Snape, and Alecto Carrow, surround her from three different angles. "That was foolish little girl. Now there's no escape for you."

Resolutely, Ginny hold her chin up in defiance and smiles. "Saving one's friends is never foolish Death Eater. Harry taught me that!" Taking a deep breath, knowing it could very well be her last, she smiles. "Now, come and get me!"

Her challenge is immediately answered with a chorus of curses. "Crucio!"


	2. Part 2: Shadows

_Thanks for the feedback! I always found Snape a complex and torn character. Tough to flesh out. In the last chapter, he is supposed to lead the school for Voldemort and protect the students for Dumbledore. At the same time, his antagonist in the fight has to remind him of his lost love, Lilly._

_This is the second of six chapters I have planned for this prologue and it takes place right after the first. The focus is on a new character of my own creation who has a significant impact on the full story I have in my head._

_Hope you enjoy and thanks to JKR for letting me share her toys_.

Taking a sudden, gasping breath, Neville gingerly raises himself up on his elbows and peers wearingly into the darkness as he regains consciousness. Slowly, his eyes adjust and he can see shadows moving around in the darkness. Without warning, one shadow lights his wand, basking three boys in an eerie blue light. Before he can even react, the second boy, dark skinned with a contempt sneer fixed on his face, jams his wand right into Neville's face. "Time to pay, Longbottom." He spits out.

Neville closes his eyes and waits for death. His prayer though is answered by a new, older voice tinged with an edge that sends a shock of fear up each boy's spine. "I don't think so, Mr. Zabini."

Blaise spins around and blindly fires off a stunner into the cave as Zacharias' wand goes spinning out of his hand and plunges into darkness. As Blaise charges off after the threat, the other boy, now wandless, slides behind the Gryffindor and pulls out a menacing blade from his robes.

Before he can even take a breath at the rapid turn of events, a black boot snaps out of the void missing Neville by centimeters; but not Zacharias. Stunned, Neville watches in abstract horror as the taller boys drops his knife, sways for a moment as he spits out a significant amount of blood and a large number of teeth before falling over limply with a quiet moan.

The silence is broken anew as the other boy's wand can be heard bouncing along the ground several meters away. The arrogant young man's façade is broken as his voice, spiked with fear and confusion, cries out. "Sir?"

"Helada!" The older man mercilessly replies as an electric white light frames Blaise's body for a moment before he crumples to the ground. A short time later, another flash and another word slither through the dark. "Obliviate."

Neville chooses not to wait fight's outcome and as quietly as he can, crawls, pulls, and pushes himself across the uneven ground shutting out in his mind the additional damage this blind escape causes his worn body. Eventually, he hears someone cough nearby and cautiously whispers, "Susan?" In response, he hears someone rummaging around in the darkness nearby before he is partially blinded as a deep, grunted "lumos" brings light to the darkness.

Face torn and bloodied, a bone sticking out of his useless right arm, and his friend's West Ham sweater ruined beyond repair, Seamus looks up at Neville, holding his lit wand limply. "You OK, Nev?"

Appalled by his friend's condition, it takes a moment for him to answer. "Yes," he whispers before looking around and spotting the bound form of a girl a few meters away. He shuffles over to her and luckily finds her wand lying nearby. Carefully, frees her with a slash. "Diffindo."

"Thanks, Nev." The girl smiles before pulling off her muddy ski mast and rubs her back and stretches out her legs. "Nothing is broken, how's Seamus?"

Neville nods in the opposite direction and then they carefully walk over to where the boy, barely conscious, is holding his lit wand. The girl gasps before recovering and takes her wand back from Neville. "Oh, Seamus," she whimpers while mumbling out a handful of spells she hopes will help her friend. "Just stay still."

While watching Susan do her best to put Seamus back together, Neville suddenly remembers what happened only a few moment ago. "Put out the light! Somebody else is down here and just took out Blaise."

"Shit!" Seamus croaks out extinguishing his wand. "How are we going to get Ginny out?"

At a loss for what else to do with her friend, Susan cries. "The way up is blocked and even if we could get through, we wouldn't last a second against Snape and the Death Eaters in the shape we are in."

"No!" Neville bites back in the dark. "We have to do something."

Susan touches the tall boy's shoulder. "We can't Neville. Ginny sacrificed herself for us and the only thing we would accomplish would be to get captured or killed."

Delirious from his injuries; but still filled with range, Seamus can only add, "fuck…"

Neville kneels down and punches the ground is frustration. "This is all my fault!"

They sit in silence lost in their own thoughts for a few moments before a deep, commanding voice cuts through the darkness. "Accio wands!" Two wands fly out of surprised hands and disappear into the darkness.

"Quick!" The girl whispers. "This way," she commands as the three do their best to crawl in the opposite direction of the voice.

Before the trio can move more than a few meters, the same voice grunts out in front of them, "lumos."

The three look up to see one of their wands lit and resting on a small outcropping above their heads. Eventually, they focus on the tall, shadowed figure standing in the middle of the light holding a second wand right at them.

Without warning or hesitation, Seamus hurls a rock at their presumed attacker. With an impatient flick of his black wand, the rock disintegrates into a cloud of dust. Another flick followed by the incantation, "compello dormino," sends the boy down to the ground, unmoving.

From the opposite direction, Neville jumps up to punch the cloaked figure in the face only for the man to step out of the way and grab his exposed arm into a painful elbow lock. "Ow!" Neville screams as his brutalized body protests the harsh treatment.

From behind, Susan lunges at the man screaming with a rock locked in her hand. But, before she can close the distance, Neville is thrown in into her sending them both crashing to the ground. She opens her mouth to scream again; but is cut off with an annoyed, "silencio."

Before the pair can make another attempt, the wand that was lighting their corner of the mammoth cavern falls dark. As they untangle themselves from each other, the man mumbles a few meters away. "What a mess." It is silent for another moment, before, the same man whispers "episkey" and a series other unintelligible spells.

"What's going on?" Susan croaks as the silencing spells wears off. "Why isn't he attacking us?"

"I don't know." Neville answers lost in thought. "If it was one of the Carrows, Yaxley, or Snape, we would already be dead."

"I know." She agrees and then adds. "Whoever he is, he can see in the dark."

A moment later, the cave is lit again, this time with a pair of wands on either side of them a few meters off the ground. The pair looks at a tall, cloaked man sitting on a rock in between the two lit wants with the other boy's body lying motionless at his feet.

Neville launches himself yet again at the man bellowing. "If you hurt my friend, I am going kill you!"

"Quiet," the man snarls as he uses a quick sweep of his leg to trip Neville, sending the boy tumbling out of control. A look from his cold, blue eyes, freezes the girl in place.

Neville rolls back over onto his stomach and rises painfully into a kneeling position. "What do you want?"

The man nods. "Listen," he pauses before continuing. "I'm not your enemy. I cannot tell you who I am; but, know this, Dumbledore sent for me before he died to keep an eye on the school during this dark time."

"I don't believe you!" Neville retorts. "Look what you did to my friend!"

Sighing, the man rubs his face for a moment before responding. "Your friend is just asleep. He's badly injured and I need to move him fast and don't have the time to argue."

"Argue?" Susan shyly questions.

The man nods before pointing his finger at the boy lying peacefully on the ground. "None of you is going to like what I am going to say and, to say the least, he has the hardest head."

Neville, even in this situation, cannot prevent a chuckle from escaping his lips. "You're not going to kill us or turn us over to the Death Eaters?"

"No," the man answers. "But, I can't do anything for Ms. Weasley either and you, Mr. Longbottom, have worn out your welcome at Hogwarts."

"I don't understand." The girl queries back.

"The Death Eaters can only identify Ms. Wesley and Mr. Longbottom." The man begins. "Thus, if you and West Ham can keep your mouths shut, you can stay. I'll make-up a story to cover West Ham's injuries, Madame Pomfrey will help, and I can help you get back to your house."

"I am not leaving my friends!" Neville defiantly weighs back in.

Meeting the young man's fierce determination with cold, hard experience, the man retorts. "It's too late for you Mr. Longbottom. You're dead if you stay at Hogwarts."

"Not unless Ginny comes with me!" He fires back.

"She will be guarded by Bellatrix and a half dozen Death Eaters." The man wearily shakes his head. "Not even I can get past that many and escape with her alive. It's too late for Ms. Weasley now."

"I have to do something!" Neville cries out.

For the first time, he notices the boy has no shoes. With a complicated flick of his wand, he catches the gangly boy off-guard as thick, padded moccasins swaddle his ruined feet. "I promise you, I will do whatever I can to help her; but right now, I need to get West Ham to the infirmary, you out of Hogwarts, and your friend to her house before the party you left upstairs comes down here looking for you."

With Neville momentarily stunned looking at his feet, the girl watches the cloaked man wave his wand again as Seamus' body gently rises and slowly moves forward with the man right behind him. "So, we leave Ginny then?"

"I don't like it either." He sadly concurs before mumbling a handful of charms over his shoulder. "Can't have them following our trail."

Falling in line behind the trio, Neville breaks his moment of silence. "Bellatrix will make Ginny pay for stunning her when she rescued me. I know what that bitch can do."

"I know." The man emotionlessly replies as he leads them through the darkness. "Your little rebellion has gotten a lot of attention. A lot of people outside these walls know about it and it's serving as a lightning rod for those opposed to the new Ministry and the Dark Lord."

"Good!" Neville snaps back. "That's the plan."

Susan is lost in thought for a moment before she cries out, "oh, no."

"Yes," the man nods seeing the look in the girl's pleading eyes. "Something happened at Malfoy Manor involving Potter a few days ago and Bellatrix es muy enojado. So, she took it out on Neville yesterday. Now, add in this little adventure. Combined, a chain of events has been set in motion that will not end well for Ms. Weasley. Rumor has it the Minister will pay a visit to Hogwarts by the end of the week and even the Dark Lord may come back from wherever the hell he disappeared to join in the fun."

Susan whimpers. "They are looking to make an example."

"Yes," The man takes a deep breath. "A brutal, and very public example of someone, so that no more of these little rebellions take place."

"And now they are going to go after Ginny." She sobs.

The man nods at her. "Yes, the Carrows and the Ministry doesn't care who they use. Both Ginny and Neville make a good target because of their known friendship with Potter." He takes a moment to further organize his thoughts. "In fact, Ginny's even a better target as the entire Weasley clan has been a royal pain in the ass to the new regime."

"Plus Ginny and…" Susan almost blurts out.

"Shut-up!" Neville interrupts.

She shakes her head. "Like they don't know?" The girl sadly laughs. "Between veritaserum and the two of them snogging in the middle of the Gryffindor common room in front of the entire house last year, it's inevitable that they'll find out."

The man pauses and turns to the pair. "I heard that their relationship was over…"

"Yes, technically speaking. But, they still care A LOT for each other." Susan sadly smiles.

"Yeah," Neville surrenders. "I heard that Harry ended it because he didn't what You-Know-Who to find out."

For a long moment the man is silent before he begins to talk more to himself than to them. "No, the Dark Lord does not know yet. If he did, he would have grabbed her the first day of school. But, you're right, he will find out now and he will use it to his advantage immediately." Pausing he adds, "How can we use that to our advantage?"

"It's obvious." Neville winces. "He'll use Ginny as bait to lure Harry to Hogwarts to rescue her. And we know how successful of a mission that will be with You-Know-Who, all of the Death Eaters, and half of the Ministry waiting for him."

Crying softly, the girl offers an alternate course of action. "Or, he'll just kill Ginny as a way to destroy Harry."

Before the man can think further, a loud boom rumbles its way through the cavern. "Damn, times up." Looking around, he casts a lighted charm down a previously unseen antechamber to their left. "Head down that passage and then climb up the central shaft, they will pop you out in the…"

"Prefects' bathroom," Neville answers in surprise. "We're in the Chamber of Secrets."

Pulling out the girl's wand, he hands it to her. "Close, Ms. Weasley told me about it one day and I took a tour to see if it could be used in case of an emergency."

"What about you three?" Susan asks as the tall man waves his wand above her head and she shivers for a moment.

"Tego texi tectum," the man grumbles before answering. "There, this cloaking charm should last about thirty minutes." Satisfied, he nods his head in the other direction. "Dumbledore added a second route out of the Chamber that lands us close to the Infirmary. I'll drop-off West Ham there and then get Neville out."

Torn between fear and loyalty, the Hufflepuff girl whispers, "how do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't." He smiles under the dark hood. "I had a plan to get Ms. Weasley out of here. It's useless to her now; but I can use it to get Neville to Hogsmeade and from there I can get him in touch with the Order."

Neville turns on them both. "I am not leaving Hogwarts. I am not giving-up."

The man reaches out and squeezes his shoulder. "You are a brave man, Mr. Longbottom. You're parents would be proud." He waits for a moment for the student to collect his composure before continuing. "But, your fate is sealed if you stay here. You will die. And nothing will be gained from it."

"But…" Neville turns away before sobbing.

"Listen," the man adds. "Let me get you safely to Hogsmeade for now and maybe you can talk to the Order about how you can help Hogwarts from the outside."

After a moment, Neville shakes his head in agreement, "OK."

"Good," he smiles sadly before nodding at Susan. "Time to go, senorita."

"Thank you." Susan whispers as she turns to her left and begins to move away as they turn to the right. "Good luck!"


	3. Part 3: Sins of Youth

_First, I stand corrected. There will be 7 parts to this prologue, not 6 as I first thought. I could not fit in a key scene into the main story, so I will plug it into the prologue (part 6). Second, I apologize for the delay. I had this part written out a while ago; but between my uncontrollable need to revise things to death and work obligations, it took lot longer than hoped. Good news is that I already have the next 3 parts drafted._

_This part takes place the morning after Parts 1 and 2 and serves to flesh out who the mysterious man introduced in the last part and what his role is. It was tough for me to write, so be kind, LOL! _

_As an advanced wrong, the next three parts will be very dark with two of the chapters earning their 'M' rating. You are forewarned._

_Feedback is always appreciated _

_Hope you enjoy and thanks to JKR for letting me share her toys_.

Early in the morning before the black of night releases it grasp on the ancient castle, a gaggle of second year Slytherin girls briskly make their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, gossiping all the way. "Did you hear about the fight last night? I heard that Pansy, Greg and Professor Carrow were taken to Saint Mungo's."

"Of course! Zacharias is in the hospital wing eating out of a straw while Blaise doesn't remember the entire week." The second girl responds with an air of superiority. After pausing a moment to look around, she lowers her head, auburn hair falling to the side, and whispers. "It was that blood traitor bitch! She led an entire team of former Aurors and escaped with that idiot Longbottom."

The third girl shakes her head, her black hair knotted tightly to her oval face. "Aurors, please! It was her and a handful of other Gryffindor boys. And she was killed!"

"She wasn't killed, Cleo!" The second girl swipes her red hair air out of her face. "Who do you think was making that horrible racket in the dungeons this morning?"

"That was her, Victoria?" The first girl pales, her skin nearly matching her natural, platinum blonde locks as she remembers the screams that woke her up long before dawn.

"Of, course, Elizabeth!" Victoria shouts in exasperation. "My Father told me that the Ministry will no longer tolerate what she and those ruffians are doing here. I only wish that Longbottom did not escape so that both of pieces of filth could be taught a lesson."

Cleo's green eyes twinkle in sadistic delight. "I hope she gets what she deserves!"

"I don't know." Elizabeth sheepishly looks down at her feet. "We heard her screaming and Bellatrix laughing all night. How can they do that to a sixteen year old girl?"

Victoria suddenly rounds on her friend and hisses. "Keep your mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself unless you want to spend some quality time with Bellatrix, too."

"Let's go get breakfast." Cleo declares in a haughty voice. "Afterall, we have Dark Arts for two hours today. We'll need all of our energy to practice the imperius curse on Gryffindor first years and mudbloods."

Elizabeth nods in agreement while hiding her tears. Weakness, even from a twelve year old girl, is not tolerated in the Noble House of Slytherin. As she follows in the wake of her housemates, she turns her to wipe away a stray tear and is startled to sense movement nearby. After a moment, she decides that she truly does not want to know what lurks in the shadows and hurries off to catch-up with her classmates.

A few moments later, a shadow breaks away from the alcove that the girl peered into. Silently, it glides towards the end of the corridor before stopping to face a towering stone statue of a regal figure, wand pointed in righteous anger, looking down in contempt at some unseen threat. "Might is right," the shadow whispers sending the guardian sliding to the right before it partially sinks into the ground in subservient gesture.

Quickly, the wraith ascends the circular stairs slowing down just enough to knock rhythmically on the wooden barrier at the top. The door yields only a fraction before the cloaked figure slips past a dark voice slithering out from the void, "enter."

Once the door is closed, the man drops his hood revealing an angular face encompassing dark brown eyes. He wears a short, trimmed, jet-black goatee, which contrasts with shining diamond-stud earrings and a white shark tooth held firm by a thin, black rope around his muscular neck. His long, wavy black hair is sternly pulled back into a pony tail that is held together by a thin, silver wire charmed to move like snake. With a tap of his wand, the matte black cloak he is wearing fades into a midnight blue hue with faint red and white stripes - the hallmark of a United States government official. Under the robe, the man has on a simple, black oxford shirt over khaki cargo pants and think, military-grade dragon-hide boots. He is slightly taller than average for a man, but his uniform cannot mask the imposing broad shoulders, thick arms, and powerful legs of a professional athlete.

The Headmaster's office is shrouded in darkness with pale green lights illuminating a few select corners. The man unties his hair and combs his hand through it, drained after a after a long, grueling night. "Snape, I do not have the time for your theatrics. You know I can see in the dark, anyway."

"Afraid, are you my friend?" Snape hisses out of the shadows above.

The man impatiently sighs before marching up the stairs behind the Headmaster's ornate desk and enters a small library. "Yes, I'm afraid, Snape, and you're a fool if you're not, too. "We're both playing a very dangerous game based on the plans of a dead man."

"You have no idea how dangerous this 'game' is, Ambassador Sanchez, and I have been playing it since you were diapers!" Snape spits out as he whirls around.

The Ambassador crosses his arms over his chest. "Can we save the 'who has a bigger wand' debate for another time?"

"You do not give me orders, here, Ambassador!" The older man growls back.

Without breaking eye contact, the shorter man grunts back. "I am not one of your students, Headmaster, cowering at the mere sight of your pretentious black robes rolling into a classroom."

"Yes," Snape smiles. "We all know how no one can cower you, Ambassador. Just ask Arthur and Gwendolyn Monmouth from your last visit to Hogwarts."

Snapping his mouth shut with an audible crack, the American replies with a vicious grin. "Sure, Snivellus, right after you tell me how it feels to have Lilly Evans shackled to a bench in the dungeon with la perra a diablo and that mongrel Alceto working her over."

"Why you!" Snape snarls as he lashes his wand at his ally and fires off a red flash faster than any normal man can react.

Blessed with natural reflexes and the beneficiary of advanced training, the Ambassador is not a normal man. Without a thought, he blocks the curse with a magically reinforced, dragon-hide forearm gauntlet while his own black, sleek wand ejects from his forearm holster into his left hand. "OK, Professor, let's get this over with."

For several minutes, the two dark figures dance, trading attacks and parries on the balcony. Not a word is spoken. The portraits watch in silent awe from their canvasses at the display of skill and power, only to shout when a stray or deflected spell forces them to flee their frame in fear. The Headmaster draws on his superior knowledge of magic to keep the younger, more aggressive man out of hand-to-hand range as he has no doubt who would win that contest. Suddenly, the American back flips over the railing and lands firmly on the ancient desk leaving parchment and trinkets scattered all over the floor.

For the first time since the duel began, Snape pauses long enough to smile and looks down in victory at the man below him. "I have the high ground, Eduardo, it's over."

"No, it's not." The American smiles in return while launching a red stunner at the feet of his opponent.

The spell, instead of harmlessly impacting the stone ledge, reflects off of a broken piece of mirror that Eduardo dropped there on purpose with one of his 'misfired' spells. Snape is able to project a shield charm in time; but, the redirected bolt slips between the edge of the shield and the stone floor. The victim of hundreds of spells in his life, including ones far more dangerous and painful than a simple stunner, Snape recovers quickly; but, not quick enough from the blow to his jaw. Once he regains his bearings, he is already bound in unyielding black chains, hanging upside down over the center of the room.

Picking up the headmaster's wand off the floor, Eddie looks up tiredly at his co-conspirator. "Let's talk."

"How dare you!" The Headmaster bellows. A bored flick of the wrist from the man below him forces him to fall silent, his mouth still moving violently.

Eddie watches the man's face turn an ugly shade of purple, whether it be from anger or the blood rushing to his head, Eddie does not care. Mumbling in a strange tongue, his wand floods the room in layers of thick, gray, odorless fog that enshrouding everything but the two men in the eye. Satisfied, he plops down on a padded bench across from the mahogany desk and pulls out a Quidditch themed magazine from a nearby shelf. Flipping through the pages, he laughs. "Not even the Dark Lord can save the Chudley Cannons."

"Fine," Snape rasps from above several minutes later. The American looks up and, after moment of observation, lowers the Headmaster down to the ground. "You have my wand. You can untie my arms."

Raising a dark eyebrow at the man, Eddie shakes his head negatively. "Snape, I have over a dozen items on my person that can distract, injure, and even kill a man. And I am not even a Potions Master."

"Very well, Eduardo." Snape inspects the man closely as he sits down in his chair, arms tied uncomfortably in front of him. A flash of respect races across his face for a second, before the sneer returns. "Last night, Ginny Weasley and two, currently unknown students, broke into the dungeons attempting to rescue Neville Longbottom. While she was successful in rescuing her friend, we cut off her escape route and she was captured."

"I know." Eddie nods towards Snape's exposes forearm, which is wrapped in gauze.

"Ah," Snape starts as the pieces fall into place in his mind. "I see. The Carrows and the rest of the staff were wrong to believe that you were brutalizing Ms. Weasley during your unending detentions with the Gryffindor hellion. You were actually training her, imparting some of your legendary skills."

The young man leans back and rolls his neck. "She's alive."

"Yes, for now," the Headmaster agrees. "But, you may have taught her too well. Not only did she seriously injure Amycus and four loyal students, she also embarrassed the entire Ministry. They want her blood now."

"Zacharias' face hit my boot." Eddie chuckles, "and I may have used a little too much power on that memory charm with Blaise. I've never been good with mind magic."

"You had a busy night, Instructor Sanchez." Snape takes an inquisitive breath. "In the condition I saw them in, I was wondering how they got out of the Chamber of Secrets before we arrived."

"Don't ask." The younger preempts the Headmaster's next question. "Except for Longbottom, the other two had their masks on and I did not ask, nor did I want to know who they were. It's safer that way."

Snape studies the Ambassador, not to attempt to read his mind as that would be a fruitless venture; but, to gauge him as a man instead of a student. "You have clearly learned a lot since you were a sixth year exchange student here. Brash and headstrong, I thought that the Hat made a mistake in placing you my house. Now, I see the cunning and drive. The hat was right. Still you were fortunate that Dumbledore took pity on you as you two shared a common failure in your youth. Saved you from a long, long stay in Azkaban."

Slowly, the former student nods. "We both have sins to atone for, Professor, we both have other's blood on our hands."

"True, but what about Longbottom?" Snape changes direction, not willing to further dwell on his own past.

Eddie bites his lip. "He's safe. The Order will get him out of Hogsmeade in a few days after the heat dies off. The loyal bastard did not want to leave his friends; but, he's dead the next time he steps inside the castle. He knows that."

"I am glad we agree on one point." Snape snaps. "But, that does not explain why you trained Ms. Weasley. You knew it was dangerous."

"Snape, Ginny was going to do what she was going to do." Eddie closes his eyes as a smile and a frown compete for attention on his face. "I would stand a better chance of controlling Mother Nature than her. All I could do was provider her with the tools that could help her survive this cursed war."

Snape nods in acceptance before he commands. "Besides untying my hands, what are you going to do next, Instructor Sanchez?"

"In due time, Headmaster," Eddie mumbles. "I can take the Carrows and maybe them and Yaxley together; but, I can't take all three and Bellatirx together."

"They are the least of your concerns, Eduardo," Snape corrects. "The Dark Lord will be arriving tomorrow to oversee Ms. Weasley's interrogation and trial personally. It seems that Bellatrix has learned that Mr. Potter share's his father's taste in redheads."

"Carajo!" The American spits out paces the room to calm down. "Veritaserum?"

"I had no choice." The Headmaster replies.

Eddie responds with no anger in his voice. "I know."

For a moment, Snape looks almost human for a moment as he is run over by a feeling of déjà vu. "If Ms. Weasley must be sacrificed for the greater good, then that his her destiny, Ambassador."

Leaning forward, Eddie grinds his teeth. "I won't sacrifice a kid, Snape."

"You cannot sacrifice yourself for one student, Eduardo. Too many lives depend on you." Snape bites back. "Just like how I have to live under the heel of this lunatic, kill the man I respect more than my own life, all so that Mr. Potter, if he is indeed the 'Chosen One,' can fulfill his destiny."

"I'm not a big believer in destiny, Snape." Eddie grunts.

"Dumbledore gave you this mission for a reason, eleven-hundred reasons, Instructor." The Headmaster hisses. "The Carrows fear you. The Dark Lord needs you to open the door for him to the States. Without you, things will be far, far worse here at Hogwarts."

"I know." Exasperated, Eddie lowers his head, the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I need to think my way through the maze, no power my way through."

Caught off-guard by the random remark, Snape grunts a response, "what?"

"Back home in Michigan, my Mom used to magic a corn maze for my brother and I to play in when we were little." The young man smiles at the innocence of his youth. "My little brother, Alejandro, would spend hours working his way through. Me, after an hour, I would get frustrated and just blow the thing up."

"I fail to see how that is going to help." Snape responds in a condescending voice.

A tired smile crosses Eddie face as he stands up and flicks his wand at the Headmaster. "I need to think of a plan, Snape."

The Headmaster rubs his arms to get the circulation flowing once again. "You cannot do the impossible."

"I can try, Professor, I can try." He replies, leaving Snape's wand on the desk. Just before he crosses the threshold, he asks quietly over his shoulder. "Do you think either of us has a chance to survive this, Severus?"

"No."


	4. Part 4: Alohomora

_Apologies for the typos in the last chapter, I went back and fixed some. Guess I should not proof read at 11 PM after spending a day staring at a 45 page pension document. Good catch on the robes for Hufflepuff, it was actually a joke that I forgot to take out. A friend of mine insists a true Badger can only wear red and white, so I made it blue and gold, just for kicks._

_Thanks for your patience with the last chapter as I had a lot of trouble with it._

_So without further ado, here is Part 4, which takes place a few days after Part 3. As I warned in the last chapter, this is narrative is very dark and disturbing._

_So with that, enjoy. Feedback is always welcomed._

_Thanks to JKR for letting me play in her sandbox._

A cold, wind-driven rain rips past the shivering crowd over two hundred students and teachers standing in a silent, half-circle filling Hogwarts' treasured foyer. Bundled against rain, wind, cold and fear, only their eyes are visible in the tempest that surrounds their bodies and their hearts. Some eyes are filled with the glory of victory, others the lust of blood, others the fire of defiance; but, the vast majority, both young and old, are clouded with the weight of defeat.

Just before midnight, the shriek of the wind is slowly beaten back by the rhythmic beat of drums. The beat rises to a crescendo as the heavens themselves appear to hold their breath. At the climax, the grand doors to the castle split open and a procession emerges from the darkness. At the head of the column is Severus Snape, the man who took control over the beloved school after he ruthlessly killed their former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, cloaked in the green and silver robes of a Hogwarts professor. His face, fully exposed to the elements, is set in store with a sneer that challenges Mother Nature herself. Several steps behind and to each side of the Headmaster are the Carrows, the despised brother and sister school bullies. Both are fully cloaked in the same green and silver robes and are identical in every way except that one sibling has a heavy limp. In contrast to the other adults in the procession, Bellatrix LeStrange is only clad in a minimal, black leather outfit adorned with buckles, knives, blades, and other deadly trinkets as her as her pale skin glows ominously in defiance of the crowd and the elements. To her side is the tall and proud American Ambassador wearing formal his navy blue robes. His piercing blue eyes survey everything around him from under his hood. In the middle of the procession, surrounded by killers, is a young woman wearing tattered, burgundy and gold robes of the House of Gryffindor. Here feet are bare with heavy leg irons binding her ankles and sharp metal cuffs pining her hands together. She marches forward proudly; but, her bare feet slip on the wet, stone ground and she falls helplessly into the mud.

"Get up!" Bellatrix screams from behind the girl, her wand sparking menacingly at the sixteen year old student.

Struggling through the pain that her body has endured since her capture around thirty-six hours ago, her body is beyond its breaking point. Nevertheless, she will not cry for them. So, slowly, she rises up from the mud, her face set in determination.

The procession reaches its destination, a wood dais recently built between the main gate and the entrance to Hogwarts' proper. On top of the raised platform, stand three men. One man, completely masked in the black and silver trimmed robes of an Inquisitor, moves behind the other two as he inspects the tool of his trade. Up front, Tiberius Yaxley, wears his burgundy robes menacingly with a arrogant, victorious smirk adorning his face. Next to him is the Minister of Magic himself, Pius Thicknesse, covered in the blue and red trimmed robes of a Ministry official. With a blank face, the Minister looks down upon the gathering and barks. "Bring the criminal forward!"

The Carrows roughly grab the petite girl and haul her up the stairs with the Headmaster following behind. A loud murmur ripples through the gathered crowd reaching its peak when a rotten tomato slips through the rain and smashes into the back of Snape's head. He whirls around, wand out, looking for the guilty party while radiating unadulterated anger. Before he reins in his emotions, a flash whips by him and encapsulates a previously unseen rock, turning it into a cloud of dust. He briefly nods his head toward the American who is already hunting for the next threat. "Enough!" He bellows.

While the crowd is only partially bowed by the Headmaster, they are immediately silenced by the mere appearance of a man, flanked by three students, entering the courtyard from the opposite direction. Appearing to float forward on a cloud of darkness, Lord Voldemort rises onto the dais as he takes a survey of the crowd with his blood-red eyes. Satisfied with the effect that his mere presence has, he nods.

Head held high, Bellatrix springs forward and kneels before her Dark Lord. A full minute later, she rises and turns to face the Minister of Magic. Gleefully, she pronounces her edict. "My Lord, Minister, Undersecretary, I present to you the criminal, Ginevra Molly Weasley! Ms. Weasley is a sixth year student at Hogwarts. She recently led an attack on Hogwarts itself in an attempt to free another known criminal. During her fruitless attempt to rescue her co-conspirator, she destroyed valuable Ministry property, attempted to murder students, teachers, and Ministry officials." Pausing for effect, she grins manically before adding. "She is also the consort of the terrorist, Harry Potter!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Lestrange. You and the Headmaster's assistance in bringing this criminal to justice is invaluable. You have helped bring peace to our country and justice for our people." The Minister of Magic acknowledges the Dark Lord's fanatical Lieutenant. Turning toward the bound girl, he frowns. "These are serious charges, young lady. What do you say for yourself?"

Defiant to the end, Ginny sarcastically laughs nodding her head toward the tall, wooden frame built into the center of the platform. "What, no trial?"

Yaxley's face turns red with rage as the Minister of Magic shouts out. "Now, young lady!"

With the faintest touch from his long, skeletal, white fingers, Lord Voldemort silences the Minister. The Dark Lord moves forward and calmly addresses Ginny. "Obviously, Minister, this pure-blooded young lady has fallen under the sway of her murdering lover and his mudblood and muggle friends." Rising to his full height, he towers over her and sagely smiles. "Show remorse, Ginny. Pledge yourself to the Ministry and your benevolent Lord and you will receive leniency."

Drawing on a reserve of courage that she did not even know she has, Ginny draws her head back and spits right into the Dark Lord's face. "Go to hell, Tom!"

The crowd explodes in defiance. Without warning for the hallways surrounding the courtyard, over two dozen witches and wizards dressed in black and silver detach from the shadows and move purposely towards the crowd. Amycus Carrow at the base of the stage, swipes his wand over the crowd and commands, "silenco!"

While searching the crowd for additional threats at the base of the platform, the Eduardo chuckles to himself over the professor's impotent attempt to control the crowd. From out of the chaos, a tentative, seemingly fragile hands reaches out to him pulls him back to this dark reality. He turns and faces the sharp, gray eyes of Professor McGonagall. "Please Ambassador, you have to do something!"

Taking a breath, the young man smiles sadly as former Professor. "I'm sorry, Minerva, Ms. Weasley has broken the law numerous times and she must for her crimes."

"No, Ambassador, she is just a child!" The woman cries.

Eddie takes the woman's hand gently within his own. "I tried to reason with her and when that did not work, I even tried to force it into her; but she would not listen."

Professor McGonagall pales. "How could you?"

"I could because using her as an example will ensure that other students do not follow in her steps." He answers back crisply.

From behind the pair, a third voice enters the fray. "Very well said, Ambassador," Yaxley smiles as he hunches down on the stage in between the pair. "Maybe, Minerva, if you followed the Ambassador's example, instead of coddling your spiteful, former Gryffindors, we wouldn't be in the mess."

With a look of forced sympathy towards the Professor, the American addresses the leader of England's magical law enforcement operations. "While I doubt that my government would approve of such a harsh punishment for a minor, Undersecretary, we have no interest in interfering with what is clearly and internal Ministry issue."

"But, you're an Instructor at Hogwarts, Mr. Sanchez, you took an oath!" McGonagall retorts.

Eddie's eyes narrow and he meets the elder woman's stare head on. "I took an oath to protect and defend the United States and a second oath to protect Hogwarts." Pausing to keep his temper in check, Eddie continues. "Ms. Weasley would not listen and became a threat to the school. If she has to be sacrificed to save the rest of the student body from the same fate, so be it!"

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, Professor." Yaxley grins evilly. "That was one lesson that Mr. Sanchez here apparently took to heart from Dumbledore." Enjoying the moment, the Death Eater, turned Ministry official cannot resist another barb. "That and making sure that you can't have something, make sure no one else can, eh, Ambassador?"

Turning his back Yaxley, Eddie ignores the jab. "To be frank, Minevra, I admire the Ministry's handling of this situation. Ms. Weasley had her chances to tow the line. If my government acted this decisively, instead of being such a Nanny State, I suspect we would have fewer problems at home."

Professor McGonagall is crushed by the rejection of the one witch or wizard that Dumbledore, before his death, confided in her may have the skills and power to face the Dark Lord and survive. "You were our only hope, Eduardo." She whispers in defeat.

"There is only the Law, professor. Without Law, there is chaos and no hope for anyone." The Ambassador shakes his head

Reluctantly, with a dozen wands pointed at the crowd from the Dark Lord's Inquisitors, the ray of hope generated by the young girl's defiance is extinguished. The Minister again takes the center stage. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, you are hereby charged with assaulting Ministry officials, destruction of Ministry property, assisting the escape of a felon, attempted murder, inciting unrest, sedition against the Ministry, and supporting a known enemy of the Kingdom. After an exhaustive review of the evidence presented, the Wizengamot has found you guilty of all charges!"

From the side of the crowd, Professor Sprout mumbles a little too loudly over the din of a chorus of boos. "You consider that a fair trial?"

"We were hoping to grant some leniency to the young Ms. Weasley." The Minister chuckles in response and then turns to face the convict. "But, as you clearly have no remorse, the original sentence stands – death by hanging!"

Shock ripples through the crowd as Ginny finally loses her composure and whimpers, "No." Snape and Greg Goyle catch her before she collapses as her strength and will finally break. Pale, and shaking, she absently rubs her bleeding shoulder and whispers a prayer. "Oh, Harry."

At the front of the stage, Professor McGonagall deftly steps around the Ambassador and moves to challenge the Minister, only to be stopped at wand point by the Carrows and Yaxley. "This is outrageous, you cannot murder a student!"

"You are no longer in charge of this school, Professor McGonagall." The Minister calmly states. "Headmaster Snape?"

Snape releases his hold on Ginny, leaving her in Greg's arms. Striding forward, he answers. "I am sorry, Minerva. Ms. Weasley knew the risks of her actions and the decision of the Ministry is final. If she listened, or even showed some remorse as our generous Lord offered, this would not be happening."

"No, you bastard!" A high-pitched scream fires out from the edge of the crowd as a young boy squeezes himself to forward. Wand pointed directly at Lord Voldemort, he fires. "Confringo!"

Quickly, Snape flicks his wrist and shouts, "Protego!" The blue shield thrown over the Lord Voldemort easily deflects the curse.

Spinning on his heel, Eddie strikes wordlessly with his own wand disarming the boy before anyone else can act.

Professor Slughorn, wearing a large set of green and silver robes, pushes his was past Eduardo and grabs Colin Creevy's, dragging the boy away from the podium while hissing, "Enough!"

"Stop, this boy just tried to attack the Minister of Magic and our Dark Lord. He must be punished!" A man wrapped in black and silver intercept the pair long before they can reach the castle.

"Rabastan," the Dark Lord holds up his hand as the crowed looks on in horror. Satisfied, Lord Voldemort looks at heavyset, graying professor while addressing the Minister. "He is young, Minister. He can still be taught the right way. I think we can forgive the boy's actions, this time." He then turns back to McGonagall. "Let no one say that Lord Voldemort has no compassion."

Without even moving, Snape barks. "Mr. Creevy, you will attend detention for the rest of the school year. Hopefully that will show you the proper way to show respect to our Lord and the Ministry."

With a hand over the young boy's mouth, Slughorn shakily answers. "Thank you Minister, thank you my Lord." Then, he drags Colin quickly past the simmering Inquisitor and out a side exit from the courtyard. Just before the door closes, the boy's younger brother, Dennis, bolts from the crowd and disappears, too.

"Please proceed," the smiling Dark Lord directs the Minister.

Shouting over to the Inquisitor and his assistant at the back end of the dais, the Minister directs the proceeding to continue. "Mr. Filch ready the gallows and will Mr. Mcnair please prepare the criminal!"

The Minister turns his attention back to the crowd and begins to reel off a politically charged speech that no one pays an ounce of attention too. At the back of the stage, Mcnair, who has been joined by the hobbled old man, removes his hood and hungrily smiles at the young girl. Pulling out his wand, he waves it once and the pair of chains connecting ankles unlock. "Move," he grunts with his wand now menacingly pointed at her as the Greg beats a hasty retreat.

Still trying to be brave, Ginny marches with her head held high limping forward to face her fate while holding back tears for the future she is about to lose. Grinning broadly, the Death Eater spins her around to face the crowd and then roughly pulls a heavy, wool hood over the girl's head. Looking over to his aid, he laughs. "Want to lend a hand, Filch!"

His inspection complete, Filch looks at Mcnair and shakes his head in disgust before staggering quickly off the stage.

Still laughing, Mcnair smirks, "Guess not, squibb!"

Reaching up with his thick arms, the executioner pulls down the rope hanging over their heads and loops it around the girl's delicate neck. Then, he uses her body to shield his own from the crowd. Blinded by desire, he enthusiastically slashes his wand down, easily splitting her frayed robes, shirt, pants, and skin. The girl's blood and pain intensifies his lust. "Snape let Bella play with you, but wouldn't let me taste you while you were in the dungeons, you little whore. But, now you are mine!" His hot breath flows over her neck.

Ginny's struggles to get away from him, even with her hands bound together and the rope hung precariously tight around her neck. Her desperation fuel's the man's craving even more. Grabbing her hip with one hand, he uncovers himself with his other hand. Thrusting his body into her so that she can feel his heat and pulsing arousal, he leans forward and snarls. "Have a nice trip little girl. When you see Potter, next, be sure to tell him that I was the last man to have you."

Just before he can penetrate her, Ginny leans back and uses the man's own chest as a leverage point. She balls up her legs and then viciously springs them backwards with the iron cuffs still fastened to her ankles. Her heels and the unforgiving metal shackles make contact with her tormentor's groin, drawing blood and a muffled scream. Struggling against the noose around her neck, she chokes out. "Fuck you, you pig!"

Mcnair stumbles backward in pain, clutching his himself as he bleeds profusely on the virgin wood. He tries to recover and takes a threatening step towards Ginny; but, his actions have not gone unnoticed.

"Incompetent, fool!" Lord Voldemort hisses before focusing his annoyance on another. "Draco!"

Even blinded by pain, rage, and lust, Mcnair recognizes the dangerous look from the Dark Lord and makes a hasty retreat inside as the second student on the dais with the Dark Lord hesitantly steps forward. "Yes, my Lord?" Draco whimpers.

Lord Voldemort cruelly smiles at the boy. "As Ms. Weasley's crimes were directed against Hogwarts itself, the Minister and I have decided that a student shall be given the honor of executing this terrorist." Pausing, Voldemort points his wand to the level controlling the droop door under Ginny's feet. "That honor is yours, Draco, for all of the support that your family has given me."

Within the crowd, Professor Flitwick, who has held his silence to this moment, takes advantage of his small stature and slips forward. Casually, he slides his hand inside his robes while vengefully staring at the Dark Lord. Before he can unsheathe his wand, a deathly whisper resonates from above accompanied by the prick of a wand's tip against the back of his skull. "Don't try it, my old friend." Antonin Dolohov warns. "If I have to kill you now, who knows what will happen to your precious Ravenclaws?"

Filled with impotent anger, Professor Flitwick shakes and then turns to his former student with his hands open and wandless in submission. "Your time will come, Dolohov, and I hope I am the one to be there for it."

"You?" The Inquisitor laughs quietly. "I know all of your tricks old man."

Turning away from the confrontation, the Professor watches the troubled Slytherin student walk towards the Headmaster and the Dark Lord while his former student jabs him in the back again. He signs and reluctantly melts back into the crowd to collect his charges.

"Me?" Draco timidly questions as his body begins to shake violently.

Laughing, Amycus Carrow bellows from the front of the platform. "Yes, Draco, now get over here before the Dark Lord changes his mind and bestows upon you some of the honors he has given your father lately for your family's mistakes!"

"Y…yes, my Lord." Draco quakes. Eyes wide with fear, he begins a slow, painful march across stage. Afraid of meeting the hateful gaze of the Dark Lord and the determined visage of his fellow student, he keeps is head down and fails totice n a piece of chain that Ginny's kick deposited on the stage in front of him. Helplessly, the young man trips over the metal and tumbles over the side into the mud. While many in the Dark Lord's party roar at the boy's misfortune, not a single soul laughs or even breathes in the crowd.

"Enough, I'm tired of your cowardice, Draco!" The third student on the dais with the Dark Lord roars. Vincent Crabbe Junior spins unexpectedly and points his wand at the lever next to the gallows and shouts, "Alohomora!"

Yaxley leaps away from as a blue flash strikes iron mechanism at the base of the gallows. The lever flies back and the door underneath Ginny's feet pops open. Before she can even react or make a sound, she plunges silently through the hole, violating the rope's maximum length a moment later. The noose tied tightly around her neck snaps to an immediate, violent halt. A sharp crack mournfully echoes throughout the castle.

Ginny is still.

The crowd screams.

Greg Goyle throws-up.

Vincent Crabbe Junior beams triumphantly.

Draco Malfoy, his face now covered in mud and tears, collapses in grief.

Three young Slytherin girls stare in shock.

Seamus Finnegan helplessly digs his nails into the palm of his hand until they bleed.

Susan Bones cries on a friend's shoulder unable to watch.

Neville Longbottom, tears streaming from his face, flees the clock tower blindly.

Professor Flitwick is frozen in defeat.

Professor McGonagall cries out incoherently in despair.

Ambassador Sanchez whispers, "Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo."

Headmaster Snape, his face impassive, can only see the face of Lilly Evans.

The Carrows laugh and shake hands in victory.

Bellatrix Lestrange licks her lips wanting more.

At the apex of the stage, Lord Voldemort spins in surprise, wand out, and stares at the proud student. Before acting, he glances at Snape, who has joined Yaxley in the gallows. "Snape!"

"Hold her!" Snape barks at the other man, who reluctantly grabs a hold of the small girl's body to take some of the weight off of the rope. Sliding his hand under the noose, he pauses for a moment and then nods. "She's dead my Lord."

"Harry Potter is now mine!" Lord Voldemort declares himself, wrapping the cries and moans of the broken crowd around himself like a comfortable blanket. Looking over to Vincent, the Dark Lord smiles. "I am glad at least one student here has taken his lessons to heart." Without another word, he marches down the stairs and cuts through the parting crowd before disappearing into the dark castle.

As soon as the doors close behind the Dark Lord, Madame Pomfrey bolts forward and scampers onto the stage. She only makes it a few feet before being stopped cold by Bellatrix and her deadly wand. "Where do you think you are going?"

Incredulously, the older woman cries back. "You have made your point, the rebellion is over. Now, please let me try to help that little girl."

"She's dead!" Bellatrix's laugh flows from her lips. "This isn't a point, my dear Healer. It's an execution and a warning." She then pushes the woman off the stage and focuses her warped attention on others. "Goyle, Crabbe, go over there and take the whelp's body down. Have Filch show you were the pit is."

"Yes, ma'am." Greg rushes by, head down and staring mindlessly his vomit covered shoes.

As the stunned crowd slowly begins to disperse back into the castle, Bellatrix realizes that the school's nurse is still rooted at the bottom of the stairs. "Fool, why don't you help those who can still be helped, for now at least, such as our little coward here, Draco?"

Jumping easily off of the stage, she leans over the face the young man who is shaking uncontrollably in the mud. She grins manically at Draco. "Like farther, like son, eh? I wonder how long our Dark Lord will keep you two around after all of your failures. Maybe you'll join Potter's slut at the end of a rope."

Shaking her head in disgust, the healer reaches down and helps Draco onto his feet. "Come, Draco," she gently offers before guiding the boy past Bellatrix and towards the castle.

Vincent and Greg fall in behind Bellatrix, Yaxley, and the Minister as they drag Ginny's body along the walkway. They make it halfway to the grand entrance before Professor McGonagall steps into their path. "Can I help you, Minerva?" Bellatrix coyly feigns.

Ambassador Sanchez, with the Carrows following closely behind, nods at Snape before sweeping by the confrontation on his way back into the fortress. "The Carrows and I will patrol the school to make sure no one is looking to retaliate."

Eventually, McGonagall blinks and drops her head and shoulders in defeat. Bellatrix smiles like a child on her first visit to Honeydukes. "I'll give you, Minerva, the honor of sharing this glorious news with the Weasley family." Breaking out in an hysterical, laughing fit, she continues. "Afterall, we don't want to waste one minute for word of our Dark Lord's just actions reaching the ears of our dear, little Potter."

Beyond feeling, all Professor McGonagall can bite back is with a quiet, "bitch."

Bellatrix eyes the older woman for a moment, and then turns to the Minister. "To ensure that the Professor does not do anything 'extra' on her errand, I recommend that the Ministry assign someone trustworthy to accompany her to the Weasley's brothel." Pausing, she smiles again. "Dolores Umbridge will do."

Nodding his head rapidly, the Minister instantly agrees. "Excellent idea, Mrs. Lestrange, I will arrange for the Secretary to meet the Professor at the Weasleys in the morning."

"What about Ginny's body?" Professor McGonagall begs.

Bellatrix ignores her for a few steps and then snaps over her shoulder. "Ginevra Molly Weasley is a criminal, Minerva. She'll be treated as such and left to rot in an unmarked grave."


	5. Part 5: Grief

Prologue part 5 – Grief

_Apologies for the long delay between chapters. I spend the last month moving and between the mortgage approval process (they give the TSA folks a run for their money), moving my family to NJ from Boston, waiting to get new internet service, and putting together IKEA furniture, was a little busy._

_This rather lengthy part focuses on the impact of last night's events on the several members of the family and allows for a pause before the next, action oriented section._

_Feedback is always welcomed._

_Thanks to JKR for letting me play in her sandbox._

A gust of cold wind slithers its way inside a slightly ajar window at a small home on the English Coast. A young man, overcome by exhaustion, grunts from the worn recliner that he is sleeping in. The draft disturbs him for a moment as he rolls over, grunts, and resumes his content snoring.

The second person in the room, sleeping on her back in a bed next to the chair shivers as the cold air passes over her form. Although her body has just begun recover from the trauma caused by two days in captivity at the hands of the second most feared witch or wizard in England, the change in environment immediately awakens her.

"Damn it, where is she!" The third person in the room curses under his breath as flips a large parchment searching for one name of the hundreds inhabiting his old school oblivious the toe gust of wind that flashes by him.

Recovering from her slumber quickly, the young woman crawls out of her bed and onto the mattress next to her. Wrapping both of them in the blanket, she asks. "Who, Harry?"

Shaking his head, but not taking his eyes from the map, he shoots back. "Ginny!"

"She's not on the map?" Hermione asks while leaning over his should to look at the moving illustration.

"No," Harry grunts.

Rubbing her friend's back reassuringly, she reasons with her friend and herself. "She could have snuck out or the Order may have finally pulled her out. They have been talking about it for a while now."

"I know." Harry whispers back as he rubs the scar on his head absently. "It's just."

Wrapping her arms around him, she queries. "But, what?"

Taking a deep breath, he cautiously answers. "I just had a dream that she was in trouble at Hogwarts and Tom is very happy right now."

"Oh," Hermione starts before collecting herself. "Ginny's a tough girl. She can take care of herself." Collecting herself for a moment, she then adds. "You just lost Dobby and you're worried about everyone now. I'm sure it's nothing, Harry."

Hugging his friend back, Harry agrees. "Yeah, I know." Harry curses and folds the map back up and stuffs it into his bag.

Hermione gives him a quick peck on the check before crawling back into her own bed. "Get some sleep, Harry. We're all exhausted. We'll ask Bill in the morning."

"OK," he reluctantly mumbles and, after many long minutes, sleep finally claims him.

After he falls asleep, Hermione closes her owns eyes and whispers a prayer for one friend's safety and the other's sanity.

The next morning at the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Magic, chirps as she skips into her assistant's office. "Percy, my dear?"

From around the corner, Percy, wearing the standard blue and red trimmed robes of the Ministry, looks over at his boss and is almost blinded, as usual, by the woman's bright, pink robes. Quickly he recovers his morning coffee in hand. "Yes, Madam Secretary?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the Minister tasked me with a vital errand this morning and I will not be back until lunchtime." She smiles.

"Of course, Madam Secretary, is there anything that I can do?" The young man asks sheepishly while wondering what was so important that it would pull his boss away from her daily interrogation of suspected muggleborns.

Nearly exploding with excite me that former convicted criminal and now senior member of the Ministry gleefully responds. "Oh, the Minister had another traitor executed last night and he asked that I personally inform the criminal's family!"

Shocked by the news, Percy steps back and whispers in fear at his own question, "Who?"

Bouncing jubilantly towards the door, she turns and smiles. "Oh, don't worry, Percy, nobody important, just Ginevra Weasley."

Percy collapses to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, his coffee mug shattering on the floor, scalding him with the hot liquid. "Why?"

"Why?" Dolores responds in a feigned confusion. "She was a traitor, Percy, all traitors must be punished." With that, she turns on her heels and leaves the office. Over her shoulder, she squeaks back. "Be sure to wipe up that mess off the floor before I get back, Percy. We both know the Minister hates a mess. I will be sure to tell your parents' you said 'hi.'"

Comfortably sitting in the kitchen after another his wife's fantastic cooking for breakfast, Mr. Weasley puts down the Daily Prophet upon seeing his wife enter the room in a frazzled state. "What's wrong, love?"

"It's nothing, Arthur." Molly absently replies

Arthur stands up and gently squeezes his beloved wife's shoulder. "Molly?"

Molly nods her head towards the family room. "Sometime last night, Ginny's hand on the clock went from 'Mortal Peril' to 'Lost.'"

"Never seen that before," Arthur mumbles as he slips on his glasses and ventures out of the kitchen. Looking up at the offending family heirloom, he lifts it off the wall for a moment before giving his wife a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my love. This thing is so old; it was bound to break at some point."

"I know. I'm just so worried about our children with Percy in that snake's nest, Bill and Charlie working for the Order, Fred and George and the shop, and Ron with Harry and Hermione doing Merlin knows what." Molly wipes away the partially shed tears of a worried Mother.

Wrapping Molly up in his arms, Arthur nods. "I know, I am worried, too; but, Ginny is in the safest place possible right now."

"Maybe we should have made her stay home after the Easter Holiday when the Luna disappeared?" Molly thinks out loud.

Arthur gently replies. "I don't think Ginny would've let us. She's upset about being left out from Harry's quest and we won't let join the Order, even after Bill, Charlie, and the Twins have. School is the one place where she thinks she can make a difference."

"A Gryffindor girl, through-and-through." Molly agrees through puffy, red eyes.

"Listen, after I get home from work today, I'll take the clock out to the shed and have a look." Arthur smiles before giving her a warm hug. "I love you, Molly."

"I love you, too, Arthur." Molly smiles before stepping back and heading off to the kitchen to wash the morning's dishes while her husband retreats to his office to collect his things for another day at the Ministry.

After a few minutes of washing the dishes, a deep chime reverberates through the house announcing that unexpected guests have entered their warded property. Mrs. Weasley raises the shade above the kitchen sink and blurts out. "I hope that's the Twins or Bill stopping by."

Returning for his lunch gab, Mr. Weasley agrees. "I know. It's so quiet here since all of the kids moved out. We could use the excitement." He then looks up in alarm, dropping his forgotten meal and reaching for his wand as he wife goes deathly pale. "Molly, what's wrong!"

Shaking, Mrs. Weasley whispers. "It's Minerva and Secretary Umbridge."

Instinctively, Mr. Weasley bolts for the front door with his wand raised. Half way between the front door and the old iron gate, he confronts the two women and demands and explanation. "What's going on?"

"Tisk, tisk," Secretary Umbridge smiles. "I can see that the Ministry will soon have another Weasley to punish." Shaking her head back and forth theatrically, she adds. "Yes, indeed, approaching a Ministry official with a raised wand is very bad."

As Mr. Weasley glares at the pink clad woman, Mrs. Weasley pushes her way in front of her husband and, with one glance, can tell that her former teacher and current friend is in shock. "What happened, Minerva?"

The beaten woman takes a deep breath, but can only whisper. "I'm so, sorry Molly. There was nothing we could do. He was there himself."

"What happened!" Mr. Weasley barks while keeping his eyes and wand trained on the Secretary.

Taking another breath, the elder woman begins. "Five nights ago, Ginny lead a group of students into the dungeons to free Neville Longbottom, who was caught the day before sabotaging a classroom. He was tortured badly by the Carrows."

"Tisk, tisk," Secretary Umbridge launches. "Don't worry, he will be caught soon and punished like the rest."

Professor McGonagall pauses to stare harshly at the despised Ministry official before continuing in a pained voice. "As they were escaping, they were discovered. Ginny stayed behind to cover the others escape and was eventually captured."

Somberly, the other woman nods her head up and down. "Yes, so true, she was caught red-handed aiding the escape of enemy of the Ministry and nearly murdered two students and a professor in the process."

Instantly concerned by the choice of words that the Dolores used, Mr. Weasley moves his wand even closer to the short, pink clad woman. "What do you mean? Ginny is a student, they cause trouble all of the time. She didn't murder anyone and being a child is not a crime!"

"Tisk, tisk, Mr. Weasley." Delores reprimands the older man as if he was a child. "That may have been the case when you and your other children were students at Hogwarts under, shall I say, a different administration." Then, her faces becomes instantly as hard as iron. "But, not anymore! Everyone must show discipline and respect for the Ministry or face the consequences."

Taking a deep breath, Professor McGonagall soullessly interrupts the brewing argument. "Last the night, the Minister found Ginny guilty of all her crimes. You-Know-Who was in attendance."

"What, no trial?" Mrs. Weasley harshly laughs.

"No, Mrs. Weasley, the new Ministry has learned from its past mistakes, such as when your husband here visited with that terrorist, Mr. Potter." The Secretary nods emphasizing each word of her explanation. "Now, the Minister is the Wizengamot and can arrive at a verdict on his own. It's much more efficient that way. If such was the case back then, Mr. Potter would be in Azkaban now instead of running around murdering people and causing trouble."

"So Minister Thicknesse is now the judge, jury and executioner," Mr. Weasley bites back. "So, what happened? Was my daughter expelled or is she spending the rest of the school year in detention with the two goons the Ministry has working there now?"

Still smiling, Secretary Umbridge corrects Bill. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley; but, doing lines would have been a far too lenient in face of the serious crimes she committed."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Weasley gasps.

"Minerva?" Secretary Umbridge turns to her unwilling companion.

"I'm so sorry Molly. I'm so sorry Arthur." Through the tears streaming down her aged face, Professor McGonagall looks at her two friends before gathering what little strength she has left to continue. "The Minister found Ginny guilty of all charges and…had her…had her…hung from the gallows midnight."

"No!" Mr. Weasley screams consumed by rage. "Crucio!"

"Protego!" His friend instinctively cries out blocking the red curse aimed at the Secretary of State.

From behind, Mrs. Weasley grabs a hold of her enraged husband and pleads into his ear. "Please stop, my love, please!"

Now full of indignation herself, Secretary Umbridge screeches with her wand pointed at Mr. Weasley. "That's it! You are now under arrest yourself for assaulting a Ministry Official."

Wiping away her tears, Professor McGonagall calmly intervenes. "No, he's not Delores. Arthur was aiming for me as I was responsible for his daughter's safety at school. Under the circumstances, and as no one was injured, I am choosing not to file charges."

Shocked, the Ministry Official spins on the older woman. "He was not!"

"Yes he was, Delores." McGonagall glares. "There has been enough pain and suffering for one day."

Looking incensed, Secretary Umbridge turns on her heels and leaves in a huff. "Come, Minerva, you need to get back to your students."

The devastated husband and wife watch the two women go through the gate and disappear with a pop. Once gone, Mr. Weasley drops helplessly next to his wife crying as his wand bouncing onto the grass. "I don't know what to do."

After an eternity, Mrs. Weasley wipes her eyes one last time and cradles her husband. "It won't take long for Umbridge to report back to You-Know-Who and the Minister. They will come for the rest of us now. We need the Order's help to hide."

Mr. Weasley gives a muffled answer from her shoulder. "I know."

Gently, Mrs. Weasley stands up and pulls her distraught husband up with her. "Go and warn the Twins. I'll go inside and pack."

Slowly, Mr. Weasley nods. "OK, I'll be back in an hour." Looking away, he then adds. "Not sure how, but I will also find a way to get word to Ron, Hermione, and Harry. They've a right to know."

"I love you, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley whispers as he pulls away.

"I love you, too, Molly," Mr. Weasley replies as he prepares for the most painful journey of his life.

The door chimes sings out a verse from an inappropriate drinking song as Mr. Weasley walks into his sons' shop in Diagon Alley. Before he can make it a meter, Angelina Johnson, who has become a regular presence at the store, grabs him into a big hug in her lime green blouse, neon purple skirt, and pink leggings decorated with yellow pygmy puffs.

"Mr. Weasley!" She beams at him. "It's great to see you! Fred and George will be so happy to see you."

Afraid to look her in the eye, Mr. Weasley looks around the store. "Kind of quiet, today, Angelina?"

Quickly she picks up on Mr. Weasley's somber mood and is puzzled. "Yeah, rumor has it that Hogwarts is on lockdown again after another 'event.' Everyone, even here in Diagon Alley, is staying inside. We've barely seen a sole in town all day."

"I know." Mr. Weasley quietly answers. "Listen, Angelina, I need to speak to my sons in private, can you please watch the shop for a bit?"

A look of concern crosses her face before she answers, "Ah, sure, Mr. Weasley."

From upstairs in the shop's office, Fed spots his father standing silently lost in thought. Wearing his customary dark green dragon hide jacket over a bright orange shirt, and shinny, faux leather purple pants, he trots down the stairs with his oversized, gold top hat bobbing along the way releasing a trail of bubbles behind him. "Hey, Dad! What's going? Trying to scare away the three customers we have left?"

Mr. Weasley bites his lip as he welcomes his son's embrace. "Where's George?"

Looking around to make sure that no one else is nearby, Fred finally answers in an infrequently used serious tone. "He's in back with a special guest showing him some of our new toys."

His father absently responds. "I need to speak to both of you."

Fred takes in his father's withdrawn eyes, slow gait and that his office clothes appear to have dirt and grass stains on them. His family may not be as well off as others and thus they do not wear the latest fashions; but they always take pride and care of what they do have. Now concerned, he forces out a laugh in return. "Sure, let's go in back to talk. Our guest will likely want to say, 'hi,' too." Turning, he shots over to Angelina. "Can you keep an eye on things here?"

Angelina nods as Fred guides his father through the back of the shop and into a storage area. Unlocking a hidden door located behind a shelf of fireworks with his wand, Fred navigates his way down the cramped, musty passageway. At the far end, Remus Lupin and George are handling a new gadget that looks like a muggle firework in the hidden work room. Unlike his twin, George is wearing a simple black shirt that is streaked with dirt and powder stains, and a pair of brown cargo pants over worn, practical black leather work boots. His former teacher has his brown, aged travelling cloak hanging off the corner of a nearby shelf and is also simply dressed in a blue shirt and tan pants. Their old family friend greets the Weasley patriarch with a smile. "Hi, Arthur!"

The two men embrace in a long hug. Putting off the inevitable for a moment, Mr. Weasley courageously asks. "What's that?"

Fred steps in to answer. "It's an anti-Dementor rocket."

"Shots a bright, facsimile Partronus into the sky." George adds.

"Of course," the other chuckles. "We can't find anyone who wants to field test it."

"I just want to see the look on a Dementor's face when the Patronus takes form!" George laughs.

Fred blurts out. "Yeah, we call it the 'One Finger Salute!'"

Tears of laughter falling down his face, George continues. "Fred wanted to use a naked woman. You know, his happy thought! But, Ang shot it down."

"She did not!" Fred protests.

Pounding the desk, George continues. "Yep, Fred is already married!"

"Remind me not to let these two anywhere near my son." Remus chuckles in protest. Turning his head towards the elder Weasley, he stops laughing immediately upon recognizing the deep pain radiating out from behind the older man's glasses. "Arthur, what's wrong?"

Fred continues to roar. "Oh, I bet Fleur is pregnant already."

Pounding his twin on the back, George jumps back in. "Guess that runs in the family, eh Dad? We really should develop a new Triple W product for that problem."

"And call it what, the anti-Weasley?" Fred snorts.

"Yeah, but you can try it first!" George fires back.

"Enough!" Remus bellows upon realizing that Arthur is on the brink of a nervous breakdown or jinxing his own sons.

Finally, their Professor's tone quiets the twins and they both look at their father. Looking at his boys' eyes, Mr. Weasley is unable to rein in his grief any longer and sobs uncontrollably. They both ask at the same time in an alarmed, childlike voice. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath through bloodshot eyes, Mr. Weasley blurts out before he loses all control. "Ginny was caught a few days ago helping Neville Longbottom escape from the dungeon at Hogwarts. Bellatrix, the Minister, and You-Know-Who showed up the next day. They tortured her, tried her, convicted her, and hung her in the courtyard at midnight last night."

Remus turns as pale as the moon and whispers in horror, "No."

"Ginny's dead?" George moans. "No, no, no, no, no!" In shock, he falls to the ground as his farther slides off the chair and embraces him with all of the strength he can muster.

"Not our little sister! Not our Ginny!" Fred shouts punching a nearby shelf with his bare hand, slicing his knuckles open. "It should have been me." He cries while bleeding over his shinny purple pants.

Arthur rubs his hands in George's hair before taking a deep, rattling breath. "I'm so, so sorry, my boys. We just found out. Professor McGonagall told us; but, we couldn't talk much as Umbridge was escorting her."

Pacing around the cramped room, Fred kicks an object that was knocked off the shelf across the room. "This has to be a fucking joke. Why would they kill a Ginny? Ron, Bill, Charlie, and the two of us are much bigger targets!"

Fighting to keep his own emotions under control, Remus somberly answers. "The on-going rebellion at Hogwarts that Ginny and Neville were leading was causing problems for the Ministry there and throughout the country. Outside of the castle, many people felt that if students could fight the Ministry and You-Know-Who, they could, too. Hogwarts has become a rallying point for everyone who was against the Dark Lord and the new Ministry."

Fred grunts back. "Murdering my little sister won't help gain that bastard any more support."

"True," Mr. Weasley agrees. "But, it will scare many people into submission, especially those with children at the school. Hogwarts was the last safe place. Now, nowhere is safe."

"And it shows all of us who have the courage that You-Know-Who must be stopped, no matter the cost." Remus adds. "Still, it's a bold move for them to make while they are still trying to quell unrest within the Ministry itself after the coup."

"Yeah," George agrees, as he absently punches the floor. "Wouldn't Neville make a better target? Everyone knows that both of them are friends with Harry; but the Longbottom name is closely related to the last war."

"There's more." Mr. Weasley shakes his head. "After Professor McGonagall and Umbridge left, we found out from Aberforth that Bellatrix, during the so called trail, directly referred to Ginny being the 'consort' of Harry Potter."

Closing his eyes, Remus interjects. "That would make perfect sense. Not only could the Ministry use Ginny as an example of what will happen to people of any stature who cross them; but, they could really hurt Harry at the same time."

Fred shakes his head in disgust. "Also explains why the Ministry sent Umbridge so fast. They want Harry to know immediately how bad they hurt him."

George swears. "That fucking bitch probably enjoyed it, too."

Looking at the two boys through red, swollen Mr. Weasley quietly asks. "How long have Ginny and Harry being going out?" Shaking his head sadly, he points out to no one in particular. "I know my daughter. Even without Moody's eye, I could see the tension between the two during the last few summers. They were circling each other."

Remus looks at the two boys. "How did the Ministry find out?"

"It wouldn't have been that hard." Fred and George share a sad laugh. "Although we had already left Hogwarts by then, even we heard the story."

Puzzled, Arthur looks at the two young men. "What story?"

"A month or so before Dumbledore died," George begins.

Fred waves his wand over his bleeding hand absently before continuing. "Harry was in detention."

Remus cannot hide a dry chuckle, "again."

George smiles. "Yeah, so Ginny had to save the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Again," Remus adds once more.

"Of course they won and the party in the Gryffindor commons afterwards was epic." George pushes the story forward before sheepishly looking at his former Professor.

Smiling, Remus encourages the twins. "Don't worry, I'm not your Professor anymore."

"Sorry, old habit," He apologizes. "Harry got out of his detention with Snape at some point during the night and came barreling into the party."

Fred smiles at the picture of his happy sister in his mind. "Our little Ginny, takes one look at our little Harry."

"And snogs him senseless in the middle of the common room with over fifty people watching," George smiles for the first time.

"Just like his father," Remus rolls his eyes. "Hard to keep that a secret."

"Ah," Arthur tentatively interrupts the story before asking. "Do I want to know what 'snogging' is?"

"Just kissing, Dad." Fred explains.

"Yep," George adds. "Our Ginny turned 'The Boy Who Lived' into the 'Boy Who Snogged.'"

"Bet he liked that nickname," Remus grins. "I am surprised that you two and the rest of the horde did not curse poor Harry to dust."

Fred looks over at Remus with an incredulous look. "You've obviously never been on the wrong side of Ginny's temper."

"Merlin help anyone who got in between Ginny and what she wanted, especially if it involved Harry." George swallows.

"Her bat bogey hex is legendary, just ask Professor Slughorn." Fred adds while massaging his sore hand. "And she uses that pleasant little piece of magic only if she is in a caring mood."

Emotionally exhausted, George rocks back to sit against the work table. "They were so happy together. After everything that both of them had been through, we didn't have the heart to say or do anything."

"But, they weren't together last summer?" Remus queries.

Taking a seat on the ground next to his twin, Fred answers. "Ron let it slip that Harry broke if off because he was worried about something like this happening." Tears begin to slide down his face once more. "He did not want Ginny to be used by that bastard to get to him."

Crying also, Mr. Weasley gently admonishes his sons. "You can't fault her for wanting to be in love, my sons, even if it was only a short time with Harry. Without love we're nothing."

Silence fills the room for several minutes as each man is lost in his own thoughts, memories, and fears. Eventually, Remus speaks out. "What's next, Arthur?"

"Molly is packing now and the Order is going to help us go into hiding." Looking at his two boys, Mr. Weasley asks a question that he already knows the answer to. "Will you two be going with us?"

The two brothers look at each other and nod in a silent agreement. Fred answers for the both of them. "We're staying put, Dad. We can do more to help here and lend support to the Order where and when possible."

"I thought you two would say that. Your Mum won't be happy." Mr. Weasley sadly replies knowing in his mind; but not his heart, that his two boys are men now. Turning, he then asks Remus. "As we're going to stay with Bill at the cottage, I can tell him then, can you get work to Charlie over on the Continent?"

"Of course, Arthur," his friend solemnly nods before adding. "Just be careful, Bill got a message to me saying something was up."

Fred's face instantly pales and his whispers, "Bad?"

Remus stands up and shakes his head negatively. "No, I don't think so. I believe it has something to do with Harry, which would explain the secrecy."

"Why after months of nothing, would Harry contact Bill for help?" George asks.

Remus shrugs his shoulders. "That's a very good question. After I help shore up the wards here and get a message to Charlie, I'll help you and Molly move to the Cottage tomorrow."

Arthur stands up slowly, wipes his eyes one more time, and puts his glasses back on. "Thank you, Remus."

Fred smiles at the two older gentlemen sadly. "Ginny's our sister and all; but, this is really going devastate Harry."

"And that is exactly while You-Know-Who did this." George fills in.

"I know." Their father shakes his head sadly as he reaches for his sons' hands. "Just please take care of yourselves, be safe."

As the two senior members of the Order reappear into the storage room, Ginny's father falls into the other man sobbing in grief. "The bastards murdered her, Remus. They hung my little girl!"

Several minutes later, Arthur opens the door and turns mindlessly down Diagon Alley. Behind him, Remus is on the threshold with Angelina holding the door open and hesitantly asks. "What's going on Professor?"

Remus, turns slightly before simply answering with his head bowed. "Ginny's dead."

The first rays of the morning sneak their way past the curtains in an upstairs bedroom at a modest two story cottage perched above the awe insuring Dover Cliffs. The warm, comforting wave of light chases away the darkness and the images of the mistakes made and the people lost that constantly haunt the young man restlessly sleeping on a mat on the floor. Slowly, his dulled emerald eyes open. Suddenly faced with an unexpected environment, he whips the borrowed wand he had stuffed up his left sleeve. Holding his breath, painful memories flood his consciousness of the last few days and he takes a reluctant breath while blindly rummaging for his glasses. He is safe, for the moment. After locking away his nightmares, both real and imagined, in a cupboard in his mind, he turns to the racket coming from a chair a few feet away. In that chair, he finds a sliver of peace. His longtime mate is snoring contently in the chair with his hand draped across the person sleeping in the adjacent bed. In that bed his is other best mate, more like adopted sister, Hermione. She appears to have benefited greatly from a safe, long night's sleep and a good meal after the disaster at Malfoy Manor. Of course, harry knows all too well that not all scare are visible and those that cannot be seen often run deep and can take many years, if at all, to heal. Held tightly in her two hands is Ron's oversized paw.

From outside the door, the scent of breakfast slowly invades his senses reminding him that food has been an infrequent luxury over the last eight or so months on the lamb. Not wanting to disturb his friends' rest, he silently throws on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and slips out of the door.

Once across the threshold, Harry immediately becomes aware of the alarming, tense, whispers emanating from the kitchen. A moment later, he slips unnoticed into the commotion and asks his hosts wearingly. "What's going on?"

Jumping at the unexpected voice, the powerful and unflappable curse breaker and emerging leader of the Order, blushes when he turns to see his rumpled house guest standing behind him. As his wife slides a fresh cup of strong, hot coffee across the table; he swallows before answering. "We're not sure, harry. Got a message from my Dad last night that they're going into hiding and abandoning the burrow. Mum has already been over twice with stuff"

"Not a big surprise," Harry thinks while grabbing a muffin. "But, it did happen fast."

With nothing concrete to add, Bill changes gears while cutting into his rare liver and steak breakfast. "I'm glad you all are looking better, Harry. A sleep and a few proper, home-cooked meals always go a long way."

"Yeah," Harry smiles. "Thank you both for everything. Fleur has turned out to be a really good cook."

"Thank you, 'arry." Fleur smiles. "Mrs. Weazlee taught moi a lot over the summer at the Burrow. Just a little French culinary la connaissance et viola! Are 'rmione and Ron awake yet?"

Harry sighs in relief. "I didn't want to wake them; but, yes, Hermione looks a lot better."

"We are all trez relieved that the three of you are sain, Harry." Fleur agrees.

"I know." Harry sheepishly replies before a there is a knock at the door.

Fleur slips past the two men, wand held discretely behind her back. After a tense moment, her joyous voice floats back to the two in the kitchen. "Bill, 'arry, c'est vous your parents plus Prof Lupin, Tonks, est little Teddie!"

Smiling, Bill strides into the living room to great his parents while Harry pauses to allow the family a moment together. Remus shoots Harry a sad look before turning his attention to Fluer. Holding his newborn son gently, he quietly asks the former Triwizard champion. "Can you please take Teddy out to the garden, Fleur, the rest of us need to talk and I don't want to upset Teddy."

"Oui, "Fleur replies. "C'est everything OK?"

Remus sadly shakes his head. "No, Fleur, but we'll tell you later, I promise"

The conversation between Remus and Fleur does not go unnoticed. As Fleur retreats back to the kitchen on the way to the garden, Harry shuffles over to Remus. "What's wrong, Professor?"

Taking a ragged breath, Remus looks at Harry. "Can you go get Hermione and Ron, Harry? I don't want to have to do this more than once." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watches Mr. Weasley gently escort his shaking wife out of the kitchen and into the currently vacant library on the first floor.

Alarmed, Harry shakes his head in agreement and vaults up the stairs, three steps at a time. A second later, he throws the door open and shouts at his friends. "Get up, meeting downstairs!"

"What?" Ron cracks an eye open before throwing a pillow back over his head and protesting. "I don't want to!"

Hermione pops her head up and tiredly asks. "Why, what's going on?"

Already heading back to the stairs, Harry throws an anxious reply over his shoulder. "Ron, your parents are here with Lupin, Tonks, and Teddy. They've abandoned the Burrow."

"What!" Ron yells, jumps out from under the blanket and makes it all the way to the stairs in just his boxers before hurrying back into the room to put on more clothes.

Turning slightly pink as she watches a half-naked Ron rummage for some clothes next to her, Hermione reaches out for her own clothes and drags them under the sheets. As she struggles slightly to put them, she asks. "I wonder what's going on?"

"Nowadays, I doubt I even want to know." Grunts as he pulls on a worn faded orange t-shirt.

Shortly after, the couple joins the growing and tense assembly. Ron spots his father having coffee with Ron on the sofa while Harry and Remus are perched in chairs opposite each other. Bill is lost his own coffee with a concerned look on his face as he leans against the door frame. Tonks sees the pair approach and moves away so that Ron can sit next to his father and stands guard with Hermione behind the two Weasley men.

Harry is struck by the fact that this is the time that Ron has seen his family in several months; but, there are not happy greetings, no hugs, no warmth in this reunion. _Not good_. He thinks to himself while taking a sip from his mug.

After a moment, Ron notices that his mother is not present and swallows hard. "Where's Mum?"

"She needed to lie down for a bit, Ron." Mr. Weasley tiredly replies. "It's been a long twenty-four hours."

Now alarmed himself, Ron barks. "OK, what in the name of Merlin's saggy pants is going on? You all look like you have been hit by the Knight Bus." His father and Remus will not meet his eyes and fear continues to eat away soul. "What? Did You-Know-Who win the war while we were asleep or something?"

"Worse," Mr. Weasley whispers.

Bill puts his drink down on the table and looks closely at his father's creased face. "Dad, are you OK?"

Mr. Weasley chokes back a sob and whispers as tears begin to fall down his face. "No, I'm not, son."

"Remus?" Bill spins with a horrified look on his face.

"Listen, there's no easy way to tell you all of this, so I am just going to say it." Remus swallows to collect himself. "A few days ago…"

"It's OK, Remus, I know." Harry unexpectedly interrupts his former Professor as she stands up and calmly walks over to the window facing the horizon line made by the cliffs a kilometer or so away.

"Harry?" Ron asks in fear.

No one says a word as everyone nervously eyes the young man, their one true hope, resting his forehead on the cold glass. "Ginny's dead."

Hermione quickly reaches over the couch and grand Ron's hand, shock written all over her face. "Why would say that, Harry?"

Ron cries out at Harry in horror. "That's not funny, mate!"

In a panic, Bill's pleading eyes seek out his father and then Remus. Neither is can accept his desperation. The truth spreads like poison through his body as he slides down the wall in defeat. "Merlin's bear, it's true, isn't it?"

"Professor, Lupin?" Hermione cries unable to feel Ron's fingers digging into her palm in terror. "What's going on?"

Looking up with bloodshot eyes, Lupin nods his head. "Yes, it's true. Ginny's dead."

"No!" Ron shouts, bolts up, and kicks the coffee table sending several mugs flying through the air unnoticed. Pointing his wand at his former Professor in anger, he screams. "No! Take it back, it's not true!"

"Ron, Ron, please!" Hermione pleads as she circles the couch trying to gently push her friend's wand arm down.

After a moment, Ron's anger and energy succumb to unfathomable grief and loss. Dropping his wand on the ground, Ron cries. "Please, somebody tell me it's not true."

Nearly everyone in the room is crying. Bill is sitting blindly against the door frame. Tonks, her hair now an unhealthy shade of brown, gently rubs Arthur's shoulders. Ron and Hermione desperately cling to each other on the carpet where the table once stood, sharing their grief. At the window, Harry does not move, does not seek comfort from his fiends, does not cry. Taking a deep breath, he lets go of his dreams, hope, and future before turning to face what is left of his family. "What happened?"

Remus meets the young man's stare and a spike of sadness along with a shiver of fear rips down his spine as he looks into Harry's glacial green eyes. He rubs his hand through his thinning hair and begins. "She was caught trying to break Neville Longbottom out of the dungeons at Hogwarts. Word has it she stayed behind to give everyone else a chance to escape."

"Is Neville OK at least?" Hermione asks as rubs Ron's back, he head buried into her chest, crying like a child.

Squeezing Tonks' hand, Mr. Weasley stands up and sits down next to his eldest son at the door. Once settled in, he answers. "He was beat-up bad; but somebody on the inside got him out of the castle and got him to Aberforth in Hogsmeade. He'll be OK, eventually."

"What the hell happened?" Bill growls with his eyes closed.

A hint of anger crosses Harry's emotionless voice. "Was it Snape?"

"It appears that Snape, one of the Carrows, and Yaxley were the ones to subdue her, eventually.

Bill opens his eyes for the first time. "It took three full-blown Death Eaters to kill her?"

"They only captured her." Remus gives Bill a sad smile. "She also put the other Carrow, Goyle Senior and four students in St. Mungo's. Alceto still has a limp and Pansy Parkinson won't be leaving the hospital for another month."

A predatory smile slips across Harry's visage. "That's my Ginny."

Suddenly faced with a mystery, Hermione looks up. "Out of the DA, Ginny was the second best fighter after Harry; but, that sounds impossible."

Stealing a glance at Harry, who is now resting his back against the window and staring into space, Remus nods his head in agreement. "I agree."

Bill shudders before entering the discussion. "You said 'captured,' Remus. So, she was not killed during the escape?"

"No, son." His farther replies. "Longbottom somehow showed-up at the Hog's Head in the middle of the night and had note. He never saw the face of person who rescued him; but, the note said that man was going to try and get Ginny out."

Lupin wearily adds. "But, that was before Bellatrix, the Minister, You-Know-Who, and half the Death Eaters paid Hogwarts a visit."

"He was there?" Hermione asks incredulously.

Sobbing from her shoulder, Ron whimpers. "Fuck."

"Yes," Lupin answers. "They held a so-called 'trial' the next day, found her guilty, and hung her from the gallows at midnight."

Already a deathly shade of green, Bill bolts up from the chair and dashes into the adjoining bathroom. The door smashes shut as he wretches into the toilet.

Alone, Mr. Weasley is sobs silently as everyone else is quiet.

After a few minutes, Harry concedes in a barely audible voice. "Then it's my fault.

Lupin stands up and walks slowly over to the window. "No, Harry, it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is Remus." Harry rejects solemnly and then looks towards the kitchen. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, it's my fault. I knew that if I allowed something to happen between Ginny and me that it would be dangerous for her. I knew that if Tom found out, Tom would hurt Ginny to get to me."

"Harry," Lupin starts before Harry freezes him with a hard look.

"Just like everyone else I love." Harry states without a tear. "I'm really sorry, Ron, Mr. Weasley."

"Harry Potter!" Mrs. Weasley bellows as she returns to the living room with Bill clutched to her. "I never want to hear you say that. Ginny loved you. We all love you. That's what makes us different from You-Know-Who. We can love."

Holding Ron's hand tightly, Hermione chokes out. "Yeah, Harry, just like Dumbledore said."

"But, Dumbledore's dead and now Ginny's, too." Harry stoically states. "My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hedwig, Mad-Eye, Dobby, Ginny, and countless others are dead because I did not act fast enough. This will not end until either Tom dies or I do."

Lupin tries to reach for the young man; but, Harry steps away. Everyone silently watches him for a moment, before he turns to face them. "Bill, I need to speak to Griphook then Olivander. This ends, now!"


	6. Part 6: Choices

Sorry for the long delay; but work has been busy and my family and I are back under one roof after relocating and magic is the only explanation I have for how much trouble a 5 and a 3 year old can get into in 15 minutes. So, this is the next to last chapter and is the climax for this story, it's war in all of it's graphic glory and agony. Enjoy and feedback is always welcome.

hp hp hp hp hp hp

"It's, it's Harry Potter and Hermione Granger!" A masked Death Eater screams over the din of battle from a balcony several stories above the entrance to the cherished castle.

"Where?" Alecto Carrow cries out in surprise. She spins around to meet the new threat with her burned and pot-marked black robes, a testament to the vigor of the defenders' efforts to protect their school, billowing around her. She is stopped abruptly by a wand pointed at her chest by the same Death Eater who shouted the alarm. Startled by this unexpected development and the young man's eyes, which are shifting back and forth between blue and red under the mask, she is barely able to project a shield charm in time to block his blasting hex. Unfortunately, her other companion, Rabastan Lestrange, is not. He collapses with a started grunt after taking two red stunners to the chest. She screams back. "Durgan, what the fuck are you doing?"

The young man gleefully shouts. "I got Harry Potter!"

"Damn it, Durgan has been Imperioused." The woman hisses as she throws herself into a duel with her bewitched ally. Once engaged, she barks over her shoulder at a trio of menacing figures stalking their prey edge of the balcony. "Greyback, we made you that Wolf's Rage, now go finish off those brats!"

"Gladly," The werewolf growls in delight as he turns to the trio of children his pack is facing. After a weak curse harmlessly singes his blood covered fur, he violently strikes out. His razor sharp claws carve through the flesh of the student challenging him.

The young man, who had protectively placed his body in front of a fallen classmate, he screams out in pain after losing a sizable chunk of his deltoid muscle. As his wand helplessly falls to the ground, the he grabs his ruined shoulder and slides down onto his knees. Resigned, the teenager closes his eyes and whispers in a heavy Irish accent. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23.4).

"Fool! There is no God!" Greyback mocks before stepping forward, lusting for the fatal blow. Lifting his arm for the strike, a scent drafts across his hyper sensitive olfactory glands and he stops in alarm. Warily, he looks over his right shoulder at an alcove masked in shadows.

"But the Lord is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off" (Psalm 94.22, 23). A harsh voice, full of retribution, slithers forth from the darkness as a robed man steps forward.

Absently, the werewolf pushes the maimed boy out of way and steps over the semi-conscious young woman lying on the floor, her arms covered in her own blood and entrails. His two companions, a pair of young female werewolves judging by their narrower heads, longer legs and the patch of lighter fur across their chests, take a step back in response to their pack leader's cautious action. Sniffing the air, the monster howls in rage. "Traitor!'

The man smiles and wordlessly fires off a series of bright red stunners at the trio with his durable, dark colored Juglans Nigra wand held confidently his left hand.

The barrage of curses scatter the young pair of werewolves; but, only leave a pair of ugly red blotches on their pack leader's tough hide. "It's going to take more than that to take me down, Ambassador. And, yes, I know who you are. I can smell your stinking cowardice."

"Tom clearly appreciates your intelligence, Fenrir." The tall man sarcastically replies as he slides the hood of his robe down, revealing a hard square jaw, ice-blue eyes and knotted black pony-tail. Circling to left, the American slips his wand into a covered wrist holster on his left arm. With his right hand, he pulls out a small, black and red ball from one of the utility porches adorning his belt. "But, there are a lot of ways to skin a hijo de puta!"

"Kill him!" Greyback screams just before the round object hits the stone floor at his feet. The explosion cracks straight through the stone rampart, sending the buttress and the werewolf tumbling down to the courtyard. The two female werewolves leap clear of the destruction and circle the man warily.

Studying his opponents, Ambassador Sanchez slips both hands behind his back and withdraws a pair of vicious looking curved daggers. Without breaking eye contact with the two angry creatures, he orders over his shoulder. "Finnigan, Patel, get Brown out of here, now!"

Overwhelmed from the horror of battle, the loss of so many friends, and the blood lose from his mangled shoulder, the young man can only stand there in shock. Pavarti pushes him forward while using her wand to temporality bind Lavender's torn insides together. "Com'on! Let's not wait Instructor Sanchez to change his mind."

As soon as the students limp down the hall, Eduardo focuses on the job at hand. The first werewolf feigns an attack just before the second jumps on top of him. Although he is of above-average height and in superb athletic condition, the American is still shorter, slower and not quite as strong as the young female werewolf. What he does have is experience and extensive training in combat arts - both magical and physical. Deflecting her talons, he lets her weight push him backwards onto the ground. Once on the ground, he springs his balled legs into her midsection. Her own momentum multiplied by the directional force created by his legs, sends her flying into the rock wall a few meters away. Scrambling back onto his feet, he turns around just in time as the second werewolf strikes.

With the daggers in a reverse grip, Eduardo slashes away a strike to his left and drives his armored right knee into the second werewolf's midsection. Flipping the blade in his left hand, he drives the weapon into the beast's left shoulder, severing tendons and rendering her limb useless. She howls in pain. With his off-hand, he slices open her stomach with a single backwards swipe. Of course, the wound does not immediately kill her as a werewolf can only be killed instantly by a blow to the heart or brain.

In turn, he follows the first slash with a powerful upward thrust as she howls out in pain, desperately trying to pierce the armor protecting the Ambassador's shoulder. His right arm burrows its way inside of her chest cavity carving through skin, muscle, and organ until the blade tip is blocked by the second ribcage shielding her heart. Convulsing, the werewolf now tries to rip into the American's throat with her teeth; but, is restrained when Eduardo grabs her by the neck with his gloved left hand.

Covered in the creature's guts and desperately holding her teeth away from his vulnerable neck; the man rakes the knife across the animal's bones until his finds a gap. He feels the beast's heartbeat pulse against the steel tip of his blade and pauses for a moment to utter a simple prayer before violently ramming the weapon inside the chamber, splitting her heart in half. "Que Dios lo perdone."

With a surprised whimper, the werewolf collapses to the ground as her pack mate bays in fury from the opposite side of the damaged balcony. Calmly, the American withdraws the second dagger from the dead creature's shoulder with this left hand. As soon as the second werewolf leaps at him, he hurls the weapon unerringly at her. The dagger splits her skull right between the eyes. She is dead before her body hits the floor.

Stepping aside of the two corpses, Eduardo is caught by surprise from a cutting hex slicing across his left forearm just as he was withdrawing his wand. The gauntlet on his forearm protects him from a severe injury; but, the damage is enough to cause his wand to go flying through the air.

"You're dead!" Rabastan Lestrange bellows as he fires off a second cutting hex.

Alceto, sensing an easy victory over a wandless enemy, screeches. "I'm going to skin you alive and feed the rest of you to Nagini!"

Calmly, Eduardo ignores the blood dripping from his left arm and withdraws a small gray orb from one of his pouches with his right hand as several curses flash by. He drops the object at his feet which cracks open emitting a dense, black cloud. Before he is entombed, he taunts the two Death Eaters. "First, you have to find me."

The foolhardy pair, fueled by an unquenchable thirst for revenge, plows their way blindly into the fog, firing off curses left and right in hopes of hitting their target. Frustrated, Alceto finally pauses after an eternity in the dense cover. Surrounded by darkness, the Death Eater hears a rapid series of curses before it is silent once again. A moment later, there is a muted crunch, followed shortly by a faint crack and a deep moan. Then, nothing. A surge of fear clears her mind and she quickly disperses the black cloud away from the balcony with a flick of her wand.

Before she can even regain her bearings, a dark blur crosses her line of sight and painfully shatters her wrist in one blow. As her wands rolls off the broken ledge, she swallows her pain and pulls out a long knife with her one functioning hand.

Turning, she stares open-mouthed at her former colleague, whose steel blue eyes and wicked grin promise untold violence. At his feet lies Rabastan, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, his eyes staring lifelessly into the heavens. "I believe Professor, as the Muggles would say, 'welcome to the big league.'"

Frustration and fear roll off her as she charges the taller man with a blood curling scream. She attempts an elementary lateral swipe with her blade, which he dodges easily. In response, he feigns a twist in one direction before spinning back at her with a powerful roundhouse kick. She blocks the powerful strike; but, at a terrible cost as both bones in her forearm splinter from the impact. To add insult to injury, he finishes off the spin by re-planting his opposite foot in the side of her right leg. Her knee immediately buckles with a wet pop.

Helpless, the woman drops into a kneeling position in shock. Looking up at the warrior in front of her, Alecto bites out. "I'm still going to k…"

Taking an annoyed breath, Eduardo leans over and stabs her in the throat with the blade of his hand, cracking her larynx. He then easily pulls her up to his height, mere inches from his own face. "Remember when you had the Three Broomsticks burned to the ground with Rosemerta inside for trying to help Justin escape? Just before hanging him on that tree, you asked him 'can you fly now?' Let's see how you do!"

Unable to even scream, Alceto gasps as her ruined body is hurled over the broken rampart, plummeting fifty meters to her death below.

Without a second thought, Eduardo marches back across the balcony, his wand flying back into his hand with a snap of his fingers. After sealing the wound on his arm, he slips back into the shadows as a symphony of noise alerts him to a commotion coming up the stairs.

Two identical young men of average height with bright red hair explode onto the floor from the stairwell. In between the pair, they are dragging a student wearing the black and red robes of the house of Gryffindor, who is screaming his head off. "Let me go! I want to fight!"

In unison, the twins shout back. "Colin, shut up!"

"Move!" A different masculine voice shouts from the stairs as a quintet of fighters reach the landing. The man, taller and leaner that the twins, wearing worn, abused tan robes, stops and spins as soon as he hits the landing to fire off an array of spells back down the stairs. Right beside him is a shorter woman with bright purple hair wearing the pre-Voldemort red robes of a Ministry Auror. She lets loose with her own barrage of curses to cover the final three companies to cross the threshold.

Eduardo does not know the redheads individually, although he suspects they are part of the limitless Weasley clan. The woman is also a mystery. From the numerous 'Most Wanted' posters hung all over England, the does recognize the man as the suspected leader of the outlawed Order of the Phoenix. The other three, he knows from Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom, looking worse for wear; but, his face set in determination confidently blocks and counters the curses aimed at the two women he is escorting. Professor Sprout ducks under his tall frame carrying a large canvas bag with one arm while pulling a very frightened Professor Trelawney along with the other. Curious as to what would drive a strong collection of Mage into a panic, the American pauses for a moment and waits for an answer. His curiosity is sated a moment later when a Mountain Troll and an entire phalanx of Acromantulas rumble up the stairs.

"Mierda santa," Eduardo groans as he steps out into the center of the hallway.

The twins, with Colin between them, shout a warning before turning down the hallway away from the stairs and balcony. "Watch out, it's Sanchez!"

Neville and the two professors bolt in the opposite direction as the American swiftly slides by them and joins the remaining pair at the landing. Before the couple can even respond, Eduardo flicks his wand elegantly and iterates. "Gaia Doru Multus."

The woman spares a glance over her shoulder and is shocked to be face-to-face with the business end of over three dozen spears floating just in front of the Ambassador. She screams out a warning to her partner as the man desperately tries to hold back the approaching horde. "Remus, watch out!"

"No." Remus moans once he spots the trouble out of the corner of his eye. He knows that the two of them cannot handle both threats at the same time.

"Move!" The American shouts back. The husband and wife share a single glance and reach an immediate decision. They vault out of the way as Eduardo, with a single flick of the wrist, sends the spears hurtling down the stairwell.

The roughly forty, meter long, stone lances tear into the mass of bodies emerging on top of the stairs. The Mountain troll, with his shield, leather armor, and thick skin, is only cut and bruised. But, the Acromantulas are far less fortunate as the sharp daggers impale one, two, and sometimes three of the spiders on each javelin. None survive the carnage.

Eduardo has no time to enjoy his victory as he desperately tumbles out of the way of the Troll's two meter long, half a metric ton war club. As with the werewolves before, most spells have a very limited impact on Troll. Even in light of everything he has been through in the last nine months, the American cannot muster the level of hatred needed for an Unforgivable to be effective. To buy some time, he fires over his shoulder right into the beast's eyes. "Periculum!"

As the Troll stumbles around trying to ward off the red flashes blinding him, the American shuns logic and the commonly accepted tactic - fall out of range of the Troll's club and attack from a distance until the creature is susceptible to a kill shot. Instead, he charges the monster and executes a feet first slide between its legs. On his way through, he drops a pair of lime green balls next to the troll's right foot. The green epoxy releases from the two capsules, binding the creature's foot to the floor in a thick, semi-solid blob.

Coming up from his slide, Eduardo is not surprised to see a Death Eater, Theodore Nott Senior, ascending the stairs behind the action. The man is wearing a strange metal and wood helmet, known as a 'Beast of Burden.' This magical totem permits a trained user to gain control over near-sentient, magical beings, such as Acromantulas and even a Troll if the user has the talent. Without hesitation, the American fires off a trio of blasting hexes.

The Death Eater, who has to focus his magical strength and mental consciousness on controlling the beasts, is ill prepared for the personal assault. The first hex misses; but, the next two do not. One hex reduces the man's left arm to a burnt stump below the elbow. Before he can even scream in pain, the second hex shatters the helmet, cracking his skull and sending him into oblivion.

The Troll is now both partially immobilized from the epoxy and confused due to the loss of metal contact with his former master. Anticipating the chaos, Eduardo moves quickly to take advantage of the situation. Avoiding a series of random swings with the lethal object, Alex waits for the right moment before violently slashing his wand as the telephone pole speeds by his face. "Diffindo!"

While a Troll is very difficult to kill outright with a spell, a focused magical strike still can cause serious damage. The curse slices open the creature's skin and severs the flexor tendon in its right thumb. As the club falls helplessly to the ground, shaking the stone walls of the corridor, Eduardo has to layer a protective charm around his ears to avoid a ruptured eardrum or two from the monster's furious roar. Unconcerned with the injury, the four meter tall biped reaches down to retrieve its weapon; but, it cannot pick it up with its right hand without a thumb. Confused, it simply stares back and forth between the club and his hand before the club itself levitates off the ground.

Sweating profusely, as the weapon has been afforded a degree of magical protection; the young man slowly lifts it off the ground. Just before the bewildered troll can swing his shield around, which is bound tightly to its left arm, the American jabs the small tree into its midsection, breaking a few ribs. The Troll staggers sideways and inadvertently breaks free of the binding holding its right foot in place. Before it can recover, Eduardo grimly pulls the weapon back before calling on all of his magical and physical strength to powerfully swing it forward with a grunt. "Swing, batter, batter, swing!"

The impact of the massive war club against the Troll's head is devastating. Hair, blood, flesh, bone, and gray matter are sprayed across the far wall. Like a building with its foundation cut out, the headless monster tumbles down several steps before it becomes wedged between the wall and the ceiling. Exhausted, Eduardo takes a deep breath as he releases the club from his control.

After a moment, he assumes his full posture and slowly walks over the three living individuals on the landing. Professor Sprout, using her wand to hurl Tentaculas at the massed Death Eaters below, warily watches the American approach. Neville, who was using his wand to shield the two Professors, turns and nods at the man. The tense silence is broken by the last person in the group. Professor Trelawney looks through her thick glasses, her robes even more out of place than normal, haughty pronounces. "Yes, the All Seeing Eye showed me that the tall, handsome American would shun the Dark Lord in the Final Battle. The Eye knows!"

For the first time in what seems like ages, Neville cracks a smile. "Well, she did just nail Greyback in the head with one of her Crystal Balls."

"Good for her," Eduardo chuckles and shakes his head at the absurdity of it all. "Can't think of a better use for them myself, Mr. Longbottom."

"You've made quite a mess yourself, Ambassador." Neville gulps. "I take it you're the one who pulled Seamus, Susan, and me out of the Chamber a few months back."

Eduardo does not say a word. Instead he looks over the young man appraisingly and nods. "Neville, you're a brave, loyal, honest, and good in a fight. You're parents, Harry and Ginny are all proud of the man you have become."

"Thanks," Neville chokes back and shakes the older man's hands.

The American leads them to the broken edge of the rampart and looks at the carnage below. "Now, let's see what damage we can do from up here."

"Actually, Ambassador," Neville begins before sharing glance with professor Sprout, who shakes her head negatively. "We'll be OK here. You need to go to the Room of Requirement."

After throwing a chain of stunners at the crowd below, Eduardo looks at Neville out of the corner of his eye. "Why?"

"It's the reason we came up here." He explains while quieting his mentor with a determined scowl. "Voldemort ordered a dozen Death Eaters to get into the Room of Requirement. He knows that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in there looking for something. We were trying to cut them off; but got pulled into this scrum."

"Horocrux," Eduardo whispers to himself. "Are you sure you are going to OK here?"

"Yes," Longbottom immediately replies, his decision made.

The American nods and as he turns to leave, he grimly gives the young man an edict. "Neville, if you happen to cross Voldemort's pet snake today, kill the damn thing."

Puzzled, Neville agrees nevertheless. "Uh, sure, uh, good luck, Ambassador Sanchez."

"You, too, Neville, and call me Eddie," the American answers with a salute before jogging down the hallway.

Several minutes later, Eduardo slows down his pace as he emerges onto the seventh floor near his target. He can hear and smell the battle taking place just out of sight. Carefully, he approaches the commotion before stopping cold as he spots a small shadow lurking along the far wall. Flicking his wand at the figure tucked behind a ruined statue, he barks. "Show yourself!"

"You killed Ginny!" A small, underage boy steps out into the light, wand raised wrapped proudly in the robes traditional red and gold robes of the Gryffindor house. "I hate you! Crucio!"

Somewhat surprised, the American is still able to redirect the unforgiveable curse up into the ceiling with a deflection charm. Anger at the war and what is has done to everyone fills the young man. He steps forward brusquely and with a wave of his right hand, disarms the boy. "Colin, what the hell are you still doing here? You should have left with the others!"

"You can't tell me what to do, murder!" Colin uncontrollably sobs. "You let Ginny die!"

No bothering to answer the young student, Sanchez drags him by the arm down the hallway mumbling to himself. "Damn, I hope the route to Hogsmeade is still open."

A few moments later, the American receives a horrific answer to his question. In front to the Room of Requirement, a trio of desperate battles is taking place. Padma Patil, one leg severely broken and bleeding, is pulling herself along the ground backwards while dragging an unconscious and burned dark skinned boy with her other arm. Luna Lovegood, who he did not know had escaped from the Malfoys' dungeon, is engaged with her former captor's matriarch. The redheaded twins he saw earlier are frantically trying to contain a laughing Bellatrix Lestrange and a masked companion. On the ground behind Bellatrix is the still body of the young woman he saw earlier with the Malfoy patriarch leaning over her in an attempt to wrestle the woman's wand away. Lastly, Antonin Dolohov is happily kicking the side of the still form of the tall man in the ragged tan robes he saw earlier.

"Carajo!" The American hisses while shoving the young student behind a fallen section of the wall and silently casts a Notice-Me-Not charm over him. "Stay there, Colin!"

After absorbing the scene in front of him, Colin can only nod weakly before sliding down into a sitting position, his arms wrapped around his knees, crying.

Left with no choice, Eduardo leaves Colin to his own fate and charges into the battle. Before anyone is even is aware of his presence, he whips his wand out at Lucius Malfoy, "Man-ka'ih!"

The silver haired man looks up in surprise as an ominous gray funnel descends on him before he can retrieve the Auror's wand. His robes flaying around him, he tries to wandlessly deflect it; but, cannot. He screams as the whirlwind lifts him off the floor and sucks him out of a whole in the nearby wall. "No!"

"Husband!" Narcissa shouts as she disengages from her one-on-one duel with Luna and, before anyone else can act, jumps through the same hole, her wand flashing, in pursuit of her husband's safety.

Eduardo pauses a moment to confirm that the young Auror is beyond saving with a gentle hand cuffing her neck. He whispers a quiet prayer while unleashing a trio of stunners. "Que en paz descanse."

The masked Death Eater easily blocks two of the red bolts while the third sails wide. Satisfied with his previous work, Antonin, a veteran assassin, mercenary, and Death Eater, shoots the American a predatory smile. "I knew you couldn't be trusted, Sanchez. Too bad you're too late to save Professor Lupin, here. At least the old werewolf died almost painlessly after I stopped his heart. You, on the other hand, are going to die screaming in agony."

Watching Luna slip over to join the duel against Bellatrix, the Ambassador bites out as the two Death Eaters circle him. "I should have tagged and bagged in you in al-Khubar, Old Man."

Shaking his head, Antonin mocks the younger man. "Not a chance, boy. I've been killing before you were a thought in your old man's pecker. Plus, why would you want to waste all of that money your government paid me in the Eighties to do their dirty work in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Panama?"

"Does that half-blood boss of yours know that your only loyalty is to the person who can pay you the most gold?" Eduardo snaps back.

Before the dark haired man can retort, the pair are interrupted by a maniacal scream immediately followed by an ugly green bolt. "You dare!"

While Eduardo vaults out of the way of the lethal blow, Luna and the redheaded twins utilize the witch's momentary distraction. They quickly overwhelm her partner with a barrage of hexes. As soon as the masked man falls, the psychotic witch instantly turns her anger on the trio, forcing them into a hasty retreat.

Antonin's compatriot makes the same mistake as he turns a wary eye towards Bellatrix; but, for him the error is instantly fatal. Without hesitation, Eduardo strikes. "Shazam!"

Instinctively, the Death Eater raises a shield in front of him, which fails to provide any protection from the energy collecting directly above. With a loud boom, a flash of energy discharges into his head, driving the Death Eater into the ground with his robes aflame and fire pouring out of his mask.

While leaping out of the way from the flames, the mercenary returns fire with his own wand. "Pluminfico Sagittas!"

"Argh!" The American screams as a purple dagger penetrates his hastily constructed shield and spears into his right shoulder. Spinning behind a granite column, Eduardo grimaces as he drives his own wand into the hole in his body. Trying to block the pain out of his mind, Eduardo takes a deep breath before rasping, "Exuro!"

Antonin laughs as he circles the stone buttress looking for the kill. "Did that hurt boy? You need a little more practice with your shield work; but, then again, patience has never been one of your strong suits. Just like when you were up to your neck in shit back in Eighty-Nine as a student in this very school. Severus told me all about that little incident. Yes, he did. Got a little too close some Dark Magic with Rosier's kids and you got sweet, poor Gwen killed in the crossfire."

Eduardo closes his eyes, fighting the bile rising in his throat as the scent of his own burning flesh fills his nostrils. His wand, its tip nearly white from the heat, labors to burn out the poison dart and cauterize the wound. For a moment, his mind drifts back to nearly a decade ago.

_In a sanctuary recently marked with sinister Runes deep inside the Forbidden Forest, he can smell his own burnt flesh after a burning hex caught his off-arm. Another young man, who is shares the same green and silver robes as the other two, is lying unarmed and unconscious a few meters away. In his arms, is a petite blonde haired, blue eyed girl; but, her robes are marred by a swath of crimson dripping from the center of her chest. "Please hold on, Love, help is on the way."_

_Sadly, the young woman looks him in the eyes. "I'm sorry Eddie. I wasn't fast enough. I thought I could help my brother; but, but, he could never escape our father's shadow."_

"_No, it wasn't your fault, Gwen. I should've seen where this was leading us to. I should have stopped it a long time ago. I should have asked for help instead of trying to solve this on my own. Please don't die."_

_Gently, she lifts her blood soaked hand and caresses his smooth, unscarred face. "It's my time, Eduardo, no one can beat Death. We'll be together again for the next great adventure."_

"_Gwen," he cries._

"_You can't come with me now Eddie as I have seen your destiny and you have important work left to do." She looks at him, her face mixed with pride and sadness. "But, when you are ready, I'll be there waiting for you."_

_Her eyes close for the last time as Eduardo Sanchez buries his head in her body, consumed by grief._

"Time to die, Ambassador!" The assassin barks as he rounds the stone pillar unleashing a barrage of cutting hexes at the younger man. At the same time, Bellatrix, who has managed to partially incapacitate one of the twins, rips off a powerful blasting hex in his direction.

"Not by your hand, pendejo." The American growls as he charges out of the ensuring dust cloud. Paying no heed to the deep gash on his left cheek caused by the destruction of the stone column, he wordlessly blocks Antonin's spells while tossing a handful of familiar gray marbles at the pair of Death Easters.

"Weasley, Lovegood, get the earless one, Patil, and the other kid out of here!" The American shouts as a familiar black cloud swallows the two remaining pair of Death Eaters. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Colin trying to sneak his way back into the fight. "And have Colin help you!"

Caught in the open, the youngest person still alive turns red in anger. "But, I want to help!"

Shaking his head, he school's dueling instructor ignores the plea. "I can handle Bellatix and Antonin; but, not if I have to worry about all of you kids getting killed."

One twin, after pulling up his brother, uses his wand to conjure a crutch for the girl while shouting back. "Why in Merlin's saggy left nut would we trust you after what happened to Charlie told me about and after what happened to Ginny?"

"I'm no saint, kid, and I don't expect you to." Eduardo snaps back while whipping his wand around at the black cloud containing the crazed witch. "Serpensortia Virensacidus! Serpensortia Funis! Multus!"

Holding the dark skinned boy between himself and Padma, the redhead fires back. "We're not leaving our friends!"

"Listen," the older man sighs as his body tenses for the next round of the duel with the Death Eaters. "I know what's at stake and I know Potter and his gang are inside the Room of Requirement. I'll make sure he gets through."

"Why are you doing this Professor?" Colin quietly adds as he helps with the other twin, who is now just able to stand on his own two feet.

"_So, it's true. Voldemort's back." A young man dressed in a dark sports jacket, a white turtle-neck shirt over dark slacks states while looking over the silver filled vile he was just handed. Above him, the stars above Lake Michigan twinkle merrily._

_Pausing, the elderly man walking alongside of him wearing an old beige overcoat from a few decades past over a simple navy suit pulls his thoughts away from the glistening Chicago skyline and nods. "Yes."_

"_How?" The American whispers back, absently brushing his hand through his vogue 'grunge' style haircut as they continue to make their way past Buckingham Fountain._

_For several minutes the old man does not answer as a pair of late night lovers stroll past them, obliviously to the serious nature of their conversation. "A bit of Dark magic and a Horocrux or two."_

"_Horocrux…" The man copies, lost in thought. "That explains the 'why' and the 'where' he went after disappearing from the FBI in Sixty-Nine and before he returned to England in the mid Seventies to raise Cain. Bet he travelled though Latin America. A couple of the old magical tribes in Mexico and Peru still practice that type of Magic."_

"_He is obsessed with defeating Death." The old man confirms. "So, the DSS is convinced that Tom Salazar was indeed Tom Riddle.?"_

_The American laughs. "No, just me and a few others. The name, some physical evidence, the raw magical power, and the similar philosophies all fit. Both the Death Eaters and Helter Skelter share an interest in Magic domination and blood purity. I couldn't interview Tex Watson, since he's dead; but old Charlie, even as mental as he is now, believes that Tom Salazar was indeed Tom Riddle."_

"_And Tom was the one you believe who inflicted so much pain on your Mother." The elder man interjects._

"_Yes," he whispers before recovering his strength and sarcasm. "So, Professor, what do you want from me? You know the American government won't get involved with Voldemort as the political view is that he's an 'internal' matter."_

"_Sounds like we share a common view of politicians, Mr. Sanchez." Professor Dumbledore chuckles before growing very serious. "I want you to come back to England, Eduardo. I still have enough pull in the Ministry and your Department of Special Services to make it happen."_

_Turning his back to refreshingly cool, fall air coming off of the lake, Eduardo looks at the man squarely in the eyes. "Why? What good can one man do if, as you suspect, Voldemort makes a grab for the Ministry."_

"_You are a very strong Wizard, Eddie. You have already proven that you are one of the few Wizards who can match the inner circle of Death Eaters and win and, just maybe, take on Voldemort himself if the situation calls for it." The headmaster explains. _

_Shaking his head, Eduardo grimaces. "I knew I should have finished off that damn assassin when I had the chance in KSA last year. Caught him red handed helping Hezbollah. I took him down and had the chance to finish him permanently, before those fools jumped in."_

"_You need to learn that you cannot do everything yourself, Eddie." Albus gently reminds him._

_Laughing, Eddie fires back. "Like you're one to talk!"_

"_Yes, Eddie, we share a lot in common, impatience being one." Pausing in thought, the aged Wizard then quietly adds. "Like me, you have also been touched by evil in your youth. That experience scarred both us, costing each of us someone whom we loved. Because of that, I know that you cannot be tempted by evil, no matter how deep you go into the dark."_

_Stopping, the American leans up against the cold metal rail, his mind across the Great Lake thinking of home and across the ocean thinking of what was lost. "But, you know I am not the one destined the take down Riddle. It's that Potter kid you mentioned. Why can't you or Professor Snape handle this?"_

"_Severus has one job, to ensure that Harry fulfills his destiny." With his back to the same rail, the old man pulls back the sleeve on his coat. "As for me, my journey is about to come to an end."_

_Staring at the old man's blackened hand; he swallows back the pit growing of his stomach. "Damn it, Headmaster!"_

"_We all have our weakness, Eddie." The older man smiles back._

_Shaking his head in frustration, Eduardo bites back. "Then send Potter here. The Black Eagles can hide him and train him. At least he then might have a chance instead of being your sacrificial lamb."_

"_Harry's like a son to me, Eddie." Albus whispers. "I would give anything to protect him; but, like everyone, he has a destiny."_

"_To hell with destiny!" Eduardo fires back. "We choose our own actions; not a trio of virgins playing with some silk strands."_

_Rolling his sleeve back down over his mutilated hand, the great wizard nods. "Very true, Eddie. Your own mother made a similar decision a long time ago."_

_Instantly deflating, the young American swallows hard before responding. "I owe you, Headmaster, juts tell me what you need me to do."_

_The Headmaster sighs. "It will not be easy Eddie. You maybe alone, with no support, be put in a position where you have to sacrifice one life for those of many others, and even commit evil acts to hold back the greater evil."_

_Overlooking the blackness of Lake Michigan at night, the young man nods. "I know."_

"_You may not survive." The Headmaster adds upon turning to share the same view._

_Eduardo Sanchez responds, meeting the concerned eyes of one of the greatest Wizards to ever walk the Earth with his own fierce determination. "You have my word, Professor." _

Blocking a group of opportunistic spells firing out from the fog, the American locks eyes with the twin and answers, "Because, I made a promise."

"I'm going hold you to that, Ambassador." The twin nods and after a glance at his wounded charges, hustles them down the corridor as fast as he can.

The moment they disappear around a corner, the two Death Eaters finally free themselves from the dark void. Bellatrix cackles, surrounded by the dead bodies of a dozen black and green snakes at her feet, while Antonin eyes him cautiously. "Do you really think that some fog and a bunch of snakes can stop us?"

"No," Eduardo answers with a smile fully aware of the danger he is in. The two Death Eaters are equally powerful and ruthless; but are nearly opposites. Antonin is a deeply experienced mercenary with the discipline born of extensive military training. At the other end of the spectrum, Bellatrix's chaotic nature makes her impossible to predict, which, when combined with her prolific skills and magical strength, make her deadly. Combined, the two are more than a match for just about any individual witch or wizard, including him. "But, then again, I have no intention on dueling you both."

Sensing the attack, the assassin pulls out a straight, double-edged dagger from his belts and aims it for the American's heart.

"Mutatio Veritas!" Eduardo casts at Bellatrix through gritted teeth as his body slams against the hard floor, sending a painful jolt radiating outward from his pierced right shoulder. Setting aside the pain, he snags the knife sailing by with his right hand.

Bellatirx ignores the spell as it strikes the dead snakes at her feet. Just as she prepares to unleash another volley at the traitor, the black snakes suddenly transform into long, black ropes and launch themselves at her. He reflexes enable her to vaporize two of the ropes; but, the other four bind her legs and arms together leaving her wand pointed impotently at the ground. Before she can cut through the bindings, the six green snakes awaken and collect together to form a ring around her feet. Once the circle is complete, they liquefy instantaneously with a nauseating hiss. The acid released from their form melts right through the stone floor. A look of surprise flashes across her face just before she drops though the newly formed hole and disappears. "Damn you!"

As the woman falls, Eduardo spins on his left shoulder back into a kneeling position and sends the blade back to its owner, with a twist. "Multus!"

For the first time during this duel, fear contorts Antonin's weathered face as a dozen identical daggers speed towards him. Desperately, he tries to dodge and magically block as many of the knives as possible; but, he fails. A single knife penetrates his defenses and buries itself deeply in his right thigh. "Fuck!"

Eduardo is quick to push the issue. He races forward to engage his injured opponent at point blank range firing off a variety of curses at the assassin.

The Death eater tries to retreat using one hand to parry and counter the attack while his other clamps down desperately over his punctured thigh, the blood pulsing out between his fingers clearly indicating damage to his femoral artery. Out of options, he bites out. "Avade…"

A cutting hex to his right side slices open his flesh over his ribs just below his shoulder and chest armor; but Eduardo does not stop. He uses the physical impact from the curse to provide the resistance needed to execute a back flip with his left heel catching the older man squarely in the face, cracking his jaw and crushing multiple teeth.

"Pirelectus!" The American shouts as soon as he lands. Tongues of white light wrap the Death Eater in their electric embrace causing his skin to smoke and his muscles to involuntarily convulse. A second later, he takes a step back and finishes the duel. "Sectumsempra!"

Blood pouring out from his leg and arm and his skin smoldering, Antonin collapses onto his knees defeated. In shock, he stares at his wand, now lying several meters away, with his right hand still tightly wrapped around it. After a moment, he looks up at the young man, anger radiating off of him. "Go ahead, Ambassador, do it, kill me."

"I didn't kill Magnus when Voldemort offered me the chance and I am not going to kill you now." Eduardo spits back while taking a moment to stitch his right side closed his wand. "You and your ilk are going spend the rest of your lives putrefacción en infierno."

The Death Eater laughs and spits out blood and a few teeth at the American's feet. "You first, Senior Sanchez!"

Shaking his head in resignation, Eduardo lifts his wand, intent to bind the Death Eater for now so that he can pursue Bellatrix; but before the spell is released from his lips, a tremendous explosion roars forth from the nearby wall engulfing him in darkness.

_A boy, not quiet yet a teen, wades his way through the tall grass alongside the Huron River not too far away from his family's home in the small village of Dexter, Michigan, outside of Detroit. He is tall and skinny for his age with rich brown hair falling casually over his ears and glasses. The grass and tree branches brush against his faded jean shorts and red and black Van Halen t-shirt. His worn white and blue Nike sneakers stomp through the mud as he ducks under a low hanging tree and emerges in a secluded clearing right next to the river. In the middle of the grove, a young man with very short black hair wearing a simple white t-shirt and green basketball shorts is lying in the grass with his eyes closed hidden under a dark blue baseball cap with a stylized white letter 'D' in the middle._

_Carefully, the younger boy sits down and notes how the pale pink skin on the other boy's right forearm contrasts with the deep, olive skin they both share. "Cómo estás?"_

"_Mom sent you?' The older boy asks without opening his eyes._

_The younger boys' focus drifts over the lazy river in front of them. "No, I was just bored. How's the arm?"_

_Tipping his hat back, the young man props himself up on his elbows and sighs. "It's fine."_

"_Are you fine?" His companion shoots back and after a long period of silence. "Mom won't tell me what happened to you over in England. I'm just worried. Need to keep an eye on my brother."_

_The older boy laughs for the first time in ages. "Isn't that what big brothers are supposed to do, Alex?"_

"_Si,_ _el hermano," the other boy chuckles. "But, I want to help you. I can handle it."_

_The older boy rolls over on his sides and playfully runs his younger's brother's messy hair. "So, you know everything there is to know, at age eleven."_

"_No, Eddie," Alex blushes._

_Standing up, Eddie walks over to the river, finds a rock, and skips it across the water before responding. "I screwed-up, bro."_

"_Bad?" The young boy tepidly pokes knowing full well the looks from their Mother and the tension at home over the last few weeks._

_His head down, the older boy answers. "Si, bad. I got caught-up in something. Just wanted to prove myself. Didn't see what was going on around me. When I finally saw what was happening, I went loco and tried to fix it myself."_

"_I'm sorry." Alex whispers as he joins his brother at the riverbank._

_Lost in the memories, both good and bad, Eddie continues to skim rocks across the river, before answering coarsely. "I got a girl killed, Alex."_

_Alex has been blessed with a sheltered life in small town America with a Norm farther who works in a factory for Ford and a Mage mother who teaches English at nearby Eastern Michigan University. While the concept of death is an abstract notion to him, his brother's pain is not. "I'm sorry, Eddie. Are you in trouble?"_

"_No, the Brits said it was in self-defense and she got caught in the crossfire." The older boy holds back tears. "I can still go back to Horizon with you and complete my Senior year."_

_Skipping his own rock, the boy prods. "Who was she?"_

"_Her name was Gwen, and…" Eddie swallows deeply. "She was someone I cared for."_

_After a few minutes, the young boys looks up at his brother, friend, and idol. "I know it must suck, Eddie; but, I'm sure you tried to do the right thing."_

"_How do you know?" The taller boy croaks._

_Eddie wraps his arms around his brother waist in a fierce hug. "Because, you're my big brother, you always do the right thing."_

Slowly, Eduardo escapes the blackness and takes account of himself and his environment. Rolling gingerly away from the wall he smashed into, he is startled to find another person close by. As soon as his mind registers the black robes and blonde hair, he curses as he whips is wand around. "Lucius, Mierda!"

The blonde man moans and rolls away in the opposite direction, unconscious and unaware of the imminent threat. After a moment, the American's eyes take into account that the unconscious figure is taller, leaner and has shorter hair that the elder Malfoy. Unsure how he ended-up sharing a wall with Draco, nor the Malfoy's heir current role in the war, he whispers. "Compello Dormino"

Gingerly, the young man rises up onto his haunches careful not to draw attention to himself while surveying the scene. To his right, opposite the fire that is still spewing forth from the ruined entrance to the Room of Requirement, are two, tall masculine figures sprawled at the top of the adjacent stairs. Opposite him is another unmoving form of an average height propped up against the far wall. As he eyes adjust to the bright fire in the room, he spots a final body, likely a young woman, lying just beyond the reach of the flames in the middle of the room. There is no sign of Antonin.

"That's Hermoine!" A young voice surprises the slowly recovering American from behind.

Instinctively reacting to the voice and sudden hand on the shoulder, the Ambassador spins instantly and in a flash has his wand menacingly pressed up against the boy's neck. As soon as his mind catches-up with his body, the Instructor scowls. "Colin, I told you to get out of here!"

Shaking, with the older man's wand pushed harshly into his neck, it takes the student a moment to compose himself. "I want to help, Professor."

"I know." The American mumbles as he looks around the hallway again, his eyes drawn to an odd piece of debris lying close to the young woman's body, its curved surface reflecting the fire's hues off of crystal surfaces. "A crown?"

Exasperated, the young boy pulls free of the man's distracted grasps and rasps back. "Who cares! We have to save Hermione!"

"Wait!" The older man grumbles pulling the boy back into the partially protected corner. Slowly, the pieces to a vital puzzle snap together in the Ambassador's mind. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"If you're too afraid to help, then let me!" The boy spits out in anger just before an ominous black cloud slithers through a new hole in the ceiling. It descends upon the living and the dead in the room and its mere presence silences Colin in fear.

A moment later, the black cloud takes the shape of a man and out from it, Lord Voldemort strides forward, his skeletal form shrouded in deep, black robes. Ignoring everyone and everything in the room, he flicks his wand and the jeweled crown floats up into his bone white hands. After a moment, he smiles and breathes. "Victory!"

"That must be the missing Horocrux that Potter and his friends are looking for. That means there are two more of the cursed things left." The Ambassador mumbles while cautiously watching Voldemort. He then pulls Colin closer into the corner. "Colin, get out of here! Run down to the Great Hall. That should be safe for now."

With unadulterated hate pouring off of him, the young student continues to resist. "No! I want to fight Voldemort with you!"

"It's not your time." Eduardo quietly notes as he pulls out a folded piece of parchment from inside his robe with 'Neville' written on it. With a tap of his wand, it glows blue just as he stuffs it into Colin's unsuspecting hand. Comforted in the truth of his own words, the American sadly smiles as the boy disappears with a pop. "But, it is mine."

Across from him, Voldemort holds up Ravenclaw's ancient tiara and takes in the scene before him. Finally, he notices Hermione as she begins to stir; but, cannot escape due to a broken leg. The look of fear and defeat on her face fuels the Dark Lord. "Your plan failed!" He hisses and points his wand at her. "You all failed!"

Still unseen, Eduardo watches from the shadows as time slows to a crawl.

_Riddle's distracted. That should give me an opening for one clean shot to take him out. But, there are three Holocrox still active. He'll survive and likely take Hermione with him. If I can take out the Horocrox, Neville or someone else bags the snake, and Potter does what he has to do, there is a chance._

_I'm sorry Mom and Dad; but I have to do this. Alex, take care my brother. You're right; I do know how to do the right thing. Gwen, I'm ready. See you soon._

_Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo. Santificado sea tu nombre. Venga tu reino. Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal. Amén._

Body tense, wand held firmly in his left hand, Eduardo aparates away from the shadows and into the light

Perpendicular to the American, one of the two men lumped against the far wall stirs. Rolling over, dark soot cascades around his face exposing a mane of deep red hair. He looks-up horrified at the as the love of his life lies helplessly at the feet of a madman. "No!"

"Avada…" Voldemort joyfully begins just before a dark robed man suddenly appears in between his wand and Hermione.

"No, you loose, Tom, Expelliarmus!" Eduardo breathes out and with a sweeping motion of his wand, sends the injured woman in one direction and the ancient relic in the opposite direction.

"…Kedavra!" Voldemort finishes before he can comprehend what just transpired.

The tiara jumps out of the Dark Lord's grip and sails straight into the flaming entrance of the Room of Requirement. The Fiendfyre grips the Horcrux in its searing embrace. A moment later, it explodes. The sudden release of the potent dark magic held within acts like a vortex sucking the life out of the cursed fire and slamming the stone doors shut.

His face mixed with rage and fear, Voldemort deflects a barrage of curses streaming at him from across the hall as the red haired man desperately holds onto Hermione. Ignoring the lifeless body of the wizard at his feet and everyone one else in the passage way, the Dark Lord pauses briefly before making a decision. He whispers one urgent word, "Nagini," before his disappears from sight.


	7. Part 7: Rain

This is the final chapter of the prologue I created when scoping out the plot of my main story, which I called Harry Potter and the Lost Souls Club. This very brief chapter asks two key questions, which are a central themes to the main story. I have a few chapters of the story already together, which takes place several years after Deathly Hallows and revolves around a new character, who has been introduced in passing in the prologue. The story tackles how our very wounded heroes try to heal, with a little ex-Death Eater retribution thrown in. I hope to begin that story soon.

Thanks again for your feedback and to JK for letting me play on her sandbox.

hp hp hp hp hp hp

The following night, no matter how hard he tries, sleep will not come for come Harry Potter. Staring up at the ceiling above his bed in the Gryffindor tower, the faces of those he lost, the mistakes he made, and the nightmare of the evil that he had just defeated flow before him. He throws off the covers and rolls out of bed and notes that there is no sign of Ron or Neville, while Dean and Seamus are resting comfortably, sedated to help them recover from their injuries. Looking down at the tattered, blood covered clothes he has worn since before their escape from Gringotts several days ago, the young man slowly makes his way to the showers. He peels off layers of clothing and pain along the way. Standing numbly under the hot stream, the seventeen year old boy cries.

Sometime later, Harry slips on a clean pair of jeans, a blue sweater, and new trainers, likely left by Kreacher during the night. The outfits hides the numerous bruises covering his malnourished frame, including a new lightning bolt scar on his chest, directly over his heart. As he descends the stairs, he takes a deep breath as the utter silence of the Common Room overwhelms him. After celebrating Voldemort's demise for hours, the defenders of Hogwarts are resting and taking stock of the damage. For Harry, the damage is crippling.

Restless, Harry continues down further into the castle and peers inside the Great Hall. Inside, the scene tears at his heart. On one cot, Mrs. Weasley sits unmoving with her hand holding the hand of her dead son while George is lain across is twin's feet, passed out from exhaustion. Mr. Weasley, a stranger who opened his heart and family to a young boy from cupboard, sits across from his beloved wife with a bank loss on his face. Once the patriarch of seven precious and precarious children, he has had three irreplaceable pieces of his soul ripped away in less than a year.

Harry only learned about Percy's fate late yesterday. After Voldemort's death, Kingsley Shacklebolt led a handful of volunteers back to the Ministry to take the Dark Lord's supporters by surprise. Unfortunately, Tiberius Yaxley had managed to escape Hogwarts beforehand and rallied many of the survivors who quickly overwhelmed the small force that the former Auror was leading. In desperation, Percy used his inside knowledge of the Ministry to break away, get a message to the Continent, and unlock the Floo Network before he was overwhelmed. The combined Auror force from France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and elsewhere was able to overtake the Death Eaters; but not before Percy had fallen.

A few cots over from the skeletal remains of the Weasley family, Andromeda Tonks slowly rocks in her chain holding little Teddy Lupin with the bodies of his mother and farther surrounding them. Swallowing hard, Harry slips back out and onto the grounds of the school.

A breeze chills the Chosen one as he wanders across the courtyard, looking up at all of the damage. At least the bodies of the fallen on both sides have been moved. Before he can further darken his mood, a genital, hesitant hand taps his shoulder. Instinctively, the hardened young man spins, wand-up, a curse on the edge of his lips.

Surprised, Professor McGonagall, her robes till torn from the day's battle, several dried scars marking her face, holds-up her hand in submission. "I'm sorry, Harry, couldn't sleep?"

"No, you?" Harry sighs as he sheathes her wand.

Shaking her head sadly, the Headmistress admits. "No."

Looking behind her, Harry spots the tall, powerful visage of Kingsley Shacklebolt standing beside her. Harry nods at the Wizard. "Congratulations on being tabbed as the new Minister of Magic, Sir. You're the best man for the job."

Stepping forward, the purple robed Minister of Magic shakes the Chosen One's offered hand. "Thank you, Harry, it's just 'interim' for now; but, nevertheless, it means a lot coming from you."

Turning back to his former Head of House, Harry wearily asks. "What do you need?"

Professor McGonagall takes a deep breath. "We wanted to ask you, Harry, what do you think we should do with Voldemort, er, Tom Riddle's body?"

Harry's eyes narrow as images of his parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, Ginny, Fred, and other flash across his vision. "Burn it. I don't want anybody trying to use Tom's corpse for their gain or a rallying point."

The Minister nods his head in agreement. "I already asked Filch to prepare a pyre. Bill Weasley suggested that we burn him and then divide up the ashes and scatter them at various undisclosed locations."

"Filch?" Harry spits out.

"Harry, believe it or not, Filch is very distraught over what happened." Professor McGonagall quietly interjects. "He may be a little rough on disciple with the students from time-to-time; but he cares deeply for the school. He has not been the same since Ginny and Ernie were hanged." The stern matron breaks at that point, wiping tears away from her eyes with a bandaged hand.

Thinner and now nearly bald since Harry last saw him many years and many deaths ago, Amos Diggory steps forward, his voice nearly as cold as black eyes. "At least a majority of Voldemort's inner circle has been accounted for. Yaxley, Dolohov, and a few others are missing. One of the Carrows, Greyback, the Malfoys, and others are all under guard. Nott and a handful of others are in the trauma tent in very bad shape. Bellatrix Lastrange, as we all saw, was killed in a duel with Molly Weasley. Harry confirmed that Snape was killed by Voldemort's snake. We just found his body."

"Snape was on our side." Harry interrupts with a whisper. "Everything he did, even Dumbledore's death, was done on Dumbledore's order."

"Are you sure?" Cedric's still grieving father bites back.

Meeting the older man's eyes without hesitation, Harry answers. "Yes, he deserves to be here with the other heroes today."

"Very well," Shacklebolt ends that part of the discussion.

Not willing to entirely give-up, Mr. Diggory moves farther down the list. Alecto Carrow is dead after she was thrown off the fifth floor balcony over there. Up on the fifth floor itself, someone broke Rodolphus Lestrange's with his bare hands. Of course, you saw the American's body by the Room of Requirement. What should we do with them?"

Clenching his fists, Harry snarls. "I read an American cowboy novel once and I believe that the saying was - 'you ride with an outlaw, you die with an outlaw' (Lonesome Dove). These people chose to follow Riddle's orders. We haven't even been able to find where Ginny and the others were buried. They can burn with Tom."

"Gladly," Mr. Diggory smiles.

The decision made, Harry's shoulders slump. Without a word, he turns and walks past the three adults and slips away into the night. Some hours later, as storm clouds spew forth from the cold Atlantic and crawl over Ben Starav to grip area in a cold, miserable rain, he emerges at the shore of the Black Lake next to a broken, white marble monument.

Leaning heavily against his mentor's tomb, the exhausted, disheveled, and distraught teenager balls up the Marauder's Map and stuffs it in rage into his moleskin bag. "Where are you Ginny? Why can't I find you?"

With a hand still in the moleskin bag, Harry pulls out an ancient shaft of wood. Carefully, he sides the Elder Wand through a crack in the crypt and places in the in the unmoving hands of the body wrapped inside. Wiping away tears, he slides off the monument and shouts. "Reparo!" Dumbledore's final resting place is mended like new, unlike his protégée's heart.

Satisfied with the repair, he weeps, eyes closed, staring straight up into the rain. "There, it's finally over Professor. I did what you wanted me to."

After another moment of silence, he collapses into the mud, he body wracked in grief. Taking a deep, painful breath, he cries out to the heavens. "But, can you tell me, was it worth it? Can anyone please tell me was it worth it?"


End file.
